Journey of Time
by Breea
Summary: OMG an UPDATE!!G/D Ginny finds herself in the 15th century. In her quest for answers she finds love in an unlikely person...just in time to be sent home. She has found a way back, but will it be everything she expects it to be?
1. Chapter 1

**Journey of Time**

Breea

_DISCLAIMER_: All Harry Potter characters are property of J.K. Rowling, plot based off her books and also Timeline by Michael Crichton. And you never know when a quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer might jump in.

            Ginny giggled before taking another sip of her pumpkin juice. She rolled her eyes to Hermione who was busy suppressing her own giggles. The two girls exchanged looks and simultaneously broke out into a new fit of laughter.

            "Would you two stuff it?" Ron complained angrily. He was sitting two chairs down from Hermione at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. Harry was across from him.

            "As soon as you two grow up," Ginny reached over and poked her brother's arm.

            Ron and Harry had taken to heavy competition with each other in their final year. Wizard's Chess every evening in the common room, Quidditch practice every weekend for hours. And staring contests. Every meal started or ended with a staring contest. So far, Harry was ahead.

            They always started out funny. Ginny and Hermione would roll their eyes and laugh for the first few minutes. But Ron and Harry could be at it for longer than it was funny. The longest record so far was 30 full minutes before Ron had finally blinked. He still swore to this day it was because a bug flew into his eye.

            Neither boy responded to Ginny's comment. She shrugged and turned back to Hermione who was shaking her head, slightly irritated. Ginny was opening her mouth to ask her a question when an obnoxiously loud, familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

            "Personally, I don't know how you can stand to look at that face so long. I think I'd rather be blind," Draco Malfoy approached the Gryffindor table from behind Ginny and Harry. He was flanked, still as usual, by Crabbe and Goyle.

            Ginny knew that once Malfoy, or any other Slytherin interrupted a game, it was declared a draw. Ron broke the stare and looked over Harry's shoulder at Malfoy.

            "Which one of them are you talking to?" Crabbe asked in his slow, stupid speech.

            Malfoy shrugged, glaring back at Ron coolly. "Either one, the specky git or the poorhouse weasel. They're both pretty hard on the eyes," He sneered.

            Ron stood up from the bench, his face going from red to maroon. From his look, Ginny figured he was about ready to deck Malfoy. To avoid the round of detentions and lost points that would surely follow a physical confrontation, Ginny jumped up and spun around to face Malfoy and his goons.

            "You're one to talk, Malfoy, have you looked in the mirror lately?" She retorted hotly, causing Malfoy to turn his attention from her brother to her.

            "Yes, I have, and I don't see a thing wrong," His tone was neutral but his eyes gave away a flash of anger. He looked her up and down and gave a snort of amusement. "Not like you're a prize, Weasley," He added.

            Ginny could feel her face getting warm. "Shove off, Malfoy. You're opinions mean nothing here," She hissed.

            Malfoy took a step toward her. "Maybe I don't want to leave," He challenged, glaring at her threatenly.

            "Stay away from my sister," Ron growled. Out of the corner of Ginny's eye she could see him struggling against Hermione's restraining arm.

            "What is the meaning of this?" McGonagall's sharp voice stopped them all dead in their tracks.

            Ginny got one last glare in toward Malfoy before dropping back in her seat. "Nothing, Professor." She mumbled.

            Ron and Hermione sat down as well, saying nothing. Ginny looked up to see McGonagall's piercing eyes were on Malfoy. She didn't have to turn around to picture his smirking, confident expression.

            "Just a civilized discussion, nothing more." She heard him say. "This isn't over, Weasley," He added quietly.

            Ginny turned but he was already walking toward the Slytherin table, Crabbe and Goyle not far behind. She wasn't sure if he had meant her or her brother. She supposed it didn't matter, Malfoy was all talk anyway.

            "Start again?" Ron was looking to Harry, the fight so routine it was already out of his head.

            "You're on," Harry grinned.

            Hermione rolled her eyes and groaned loudly. She looked to Ginny, "Not again!" She complained loudly. The girls sat back and waited, not having a choice.

* * * *

            _It was dark. Pitch black. She stuck her hand in front of her face but she couldn't' see it. For some reason, this didn't bother her. She thought she would at least feel uneasy about being in such a strange environment, but she was surprisingly calm._

_            She reached her hands out, feeling for a wall or a doorway or anything familiar. Turning slowly, she saw a crack of light on the ground a few feet away._

_            Running over, her footsteps making no noise, she fell to her knees beside it. It appeared as a crack of light would if coming from under a door. But the light only penetrated a few inches. She still couldn't see her hand._

_            She put her head on the ground, trying to see under the 'door.' She could see only light. When she was about to give up, the light began to fade._

_            She could now see. It was a room made of stone. It seemed to be in a castle, yet she had never seen it at Hogwarts before. Two pairs of feet passed into her line of vision. She could hear faint voices. She heard a distinctly female voice but the words seemed jumbled or in a language she didn't know._

_            The voices began to fade so she leaned closer, hoping to catch a familiar word. The door opened, surprising her. She fell backward and looked up to see the silhouette of a woman with long curly hair. She could make out anymore because the light coming from the room behind the woman was so blinding. She reached a hand to shield her eyes when the floor shifted beneath her. Suddenly, she was falling, the woman fading fast._

_            She fell for what felt like an eternity. She was beginning to wonder if she would ever stop when, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped._

_            She glanced around and saw she was in a ring of stones on an otherwise grassy hill. In the distance, to the east according to the sun, was Hogwarts Castle, backed by a serene blue sky._

_            She was about to stand up when a crashing sound in the nearby trees stopped her movement. She focused on the spot, wondering what sort of animal was making all that racket._

_            Her jaw dropped when a person appeared, running toward her at full tilt. She tried to blink when she saw who it was but her eyes were frozen wide with shock._

_            Draco Malfoy was running at her. In his hand, he held a very long, very sharp looking sword. The look in his eyes sent chills down her spine._

_            She tried to cry out, to tell him to stop. But she found herself mute with fear and shock. She saw the beginning of Draco's back swing then the glint of metal as he arched toward her head._

            At the last minute she threw up her arms and closed her eyes, waiting for the blow. It never came.

* * * *

            Ginny opened her eyes and sat straight up. She glanced around, disoriented. She shook her head and smoothed her hair back with her hands. IT was just a dream.

            Wild dream, she thought to herself wryly. But it left her unsettled and the events would not leave her mind. The oddest part was that, even now, awake, the dream had felt real. She had never experienced such a jumbled, improbably collection of thoughts that seemed as if they actually happened.

            Or were going to happen, a voice in the recesses of her mind added. Ginny frowned at the thought but dismissed it.

            Sighing quietly, she climbed out of bed, threw a button up cardigan over her nightgown, and tip toed from the dorm room. She knew there was no way she'd be sleeping again anytime soon after that dream. She thought she might try to coerce the house elves into giving her a late night snack. If she didn't get caught in the halls, that is.

            She was half way across the common room when something caught her eye. There seemed to be a solitary book on the table by the ever-burning fire. This was odd, because after everyone went to bed, the common room was supposed to be cleared. McGonagall would have a fit if she walked in the next morning and saw some one had disobeyed that rule.

            Imagining the points she was saving for Gryffindor, Ginny made her way over to the book, checking first to make sure no one else was up. As she got closer she saw the book was not alone but had some sort of card resting on it. She stared down at the book and the card in front of her, but made not motion to pick either up.

            The card was old and faded, but nowhere near as old as the book. The card had strange markings on it, one being of a triangle with an eye in it. Ginny recognized this from on of her divination lessons. Professor Trelawney's voice rang in the back of her mind: "Some Muggles claim to be fortune tellers and that they can see the future. They use what are known as Tarot cards to tell people what is in their past, present or future. In honesty, the cards have no such power for Muggles, but for one with 'the gift,' Tarot cards can reveal much,"

            This card looked like a very old version of the Tart cards Professor Trelawney held up. This struck Ginny funny, however, because Tarot cards come in packs, not individually. Why would anyone want a single Tarot card?

            Ginny reached a hesitant hand out toward the book and card. She watched her hand get closer and closer, as if in slow motion. Finally, she rested her fingers on it and picked it up slowly.

            She felt a sudden calmness, much like the calm feeling in her dream. She began to flip the card over but stopped when she felt the card tug her hand. She stared hard at the back of the card, wondering if it had been her imagination.

            The sensation of being sucked through a straw overwhelmed her immediately. It hadn't been a Tarot card after all. It was a port key.

**A/N: Please review, it makes authors happy!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Journey of Time**

Breea

_DISCLAIMER_: All Harry Potter characters are property of J.K. Rowling, plot based off her books and also Timeline by Michael Crichton. And you never know when a quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer might jump in.

_A/N:_ This is not altogether historically accurate. I did as much research as I thought was necessary but I didn't want to over burden that aspect, as this is only a fan fic.

Chapter 2 

            Ginny had never felt every muscle in her body before. That was probably a good thing since it wasn't an altogether pleasant feeling. She wiggled her fingers and toes, heaving a sigh of relief; they were still there.

            In a sudden burst of panic she realized she couldn't see anything, the world around her was still black. She was blind!

            _No, your eyes are closed, silly git_, she thought to herself. _Open them_. Luckily, the voice in her head was still making sense because Ginny felt utterly confused.

            She opened one eye. The pale blue sky filled her vision. _Odd,_ she thought slightly dazed. _I was inside_. She opened her other eye. There wasn't a cloud in sight. _And wasn't it nighttime?_ She lay still, staring up at the sky, lying flat on her back. Which, she realized suddenly, was extremely damp.

            Ginny risked turning her head. She was definitely outside, lying in grass, somewhere unfamiliar.

            _Wait_, she thought, sitting up abruptly. Her head whipped from side to side, her hair falling in her face. She hardly noticed. She stared hard toward the east. The morning fog was starting to lift and she could barely make out the faint outline of a castle. She was on the hill from her dream.

            Ginny closed her eyes and opened them quickly. She did it again, slower this time. No, this was not a dream. This time, it was real.

            Immediately she pushed herself to a crouch, watching the woods where Draco had appeared in her dream. He had been charging to kill her; the only reason she survived was the fact that it _was_ a dream. Faced with this new reality, Ginny figured her best chance would be to run in the opposite direction if he actually appeared.

            He never did.

* * * *

Ginny decided her best option would be to head toward the castle. She had no idea why she was in the middle of nowhere, but it couldn't be safe for her to be that far from Hogwarts. Plus, her entire nightgown was soaking and she was freezing, despite her sweatshirt and she felt naked without her wand. She headed east, the direction of the castle.

            Right away she wished she had shoes. She had no choice but to cut through trees and the underbrush was sharp and unforgiving. Even though she was picking her steps carefully, her feet were sore within minutes. A deep sense of forbidding made her suffer silently, she had a feeling noise would be a danger to her.

            She finally stumbled upon a road. It was actually more like two ditches worn into a cleared path of grass, but it seemed to lead straight toward the castle. Ginny was grateful she didn't have to walk through the forest any longer.

            She had hardly taken three steps down the road when a boy of about fourteen burst forth from the bushes directly ahead of her, on the opposite side of the road. He was dressed in the strangest fashion, gray woolen pants and what looked to Ginny to be a beige tunic tied with a rope around his waist. A gray cap covered his hair and his shoes were made from pieces of brown wool tied around his ankles. Ginny noticed all this within two seconds.

            He looked surprised to see her there. Another emotion showed plainly on his face – fear. "What are you doing?" He asked in the thickest British accent Ginny ever heard. "Off the road! They'll kill you!"

            Ginny barely processed his words before he tackled her, knocking her into the bushes. He lay next to her, one finger to his lips to indicate they should be silent. Ginny decided holding her breath would be a good idea too.

            She soon heard a sound that had to be horses. The sound was headed straight for them. Ginny had a sick feeling in her stomach. Why were there people on horses and why would they try to kill her?

            An unfamiliar, male voice called. "Spread out! Surround the area!" It didn't sound like a happy tone.

            Ginny heard the boy's sharp intake of breath and a quiet word she could only assume wasn't very polite. He motioned for Ginny to follow him.

            They rolled onto their stomachs and began crawling through the underbrush, making as little noise as possible, away from the horses and searching men.

            A sudden shout startled Ginny, causing her to jump and pause her crawling. From the sounds behind them it appeared they had been spotted. Ginny saw the boy pop up ahead and sprint away without a glance behind him. Unwilling to lose him, Ginny risked jumping up herself and running after him.

            The horses were obviously faster than them, but harder to maneuver in the underbrush. Still, Ginny knew they were being gained on and she was already beginning to tire. She kept her eyes on the boy's hat ahead of her, pushing herself to keep up.

            Suddenly, the hat disappeared. Ginny stopped running where she last saw it, panting in an attempt to catch her breath. She could hear the horses not far behind her.

            A hand snaked up and grabbed her ankle, startling her. She would have cried out had she not already been terrified. She looked down and met a set of gray eyes. It was the boy. He motioned for her to quickly join him.

            It was an alcove in the ground just before the land dipped into a valley. The alcove was unobservable unless you know exactly where to look. Ginny ducked in next to him. There was barely enough room for two of them.

            Before she could think, the hoof beats were on top of them. Ginny didn't even dare to breathe. The horses stopped, right above them. Ginny could hear the men talking in low voices but she couldn't make out the words. She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting down her rising panic. _Please make them leave, please make them leave_, she thought, repeating it over and over in her mind.

            And they did. After what seemed like hours, but was really only minutes, the men on the horses split up, some doubling back, others continuing on. Ginny made a move to get up but the boy grabbed her arm, stopping her. He shook his head. Ginny sat back with resignation. They would wait.

            Ginny tried to be still and quiet. Inside her head was anything but those two things. She was trying to process what had happened to her in the past hour but was failing miserably. None of it made sense, where she was, whom she was with and what was happening. It was all to confusing for her head to make sense of.

            After a half hour of sitting in silence, the boy made a motion to let her know it was safe to move. Ginny crawled out of the alcove and into the cool air. It was dusk; she could see the sun sinking low in the purple sky to the west. She looked toward the castle and noticed they were considerable closer than she thought she would be. She turned to ask the boy what he knew but he had a finger to his lips again. It wasn't safe to talk yet. She nodded to let him know she understood. They began walking carefully toward the castle, keeping their eyes and ears open for any sign of the horses or their riders.

* * * *

            By the time they reached the castle it was dark out. Luckily, the moon was bright and gave plenty of light to see by. Ginny was desperate to ask the multitude of questions that were piling up in her head but stayed quiet, waiting for the boy's signal that it would be okay to speak.

            Ginny stared ahead of them at the castle. It looked…different. Maybe it was the moonlight, or the ordeal she was going through, but she could have sworn it looked different. She couldn't put her finger on exactly what it was.

            The boy walked straight up toward the front door where there were two guards. He spoke with them briefly before motioning her to follow him in. Ginny did, feeling basically numb at this point from the cold.

            _Wait_, she thought, looking over her shoulder as she walked through the doorway. _Guards?_ _There aren't guards at Hogwarts_, but the thought died as she looked around the entrance hall. This was definitely **not** Hogwarts.

            When she had last walked through the room it had been decorated in the four colors of the four houses, wizard paintings that were constantly on the move, and white marble staircases. Now, less than 24 hours later to her, all stairways were gray stone, the paintings were nowhere to be seen and the four house colors were absent. Instead, the room was decorated with maroon tapestries that hung from the ceiling and she was blinded by the gold gilding on everything around her. This couldn't be the same castle.

            The boy turned around, taking his hat off as he did so. Ginny bit her bottom lip to suppress her gasp of surprise. He was not a he at all. He was a she. Her long, white gold locks fell from the cap past her shoulders and her smile was definitely feminine. Ginny marveled at how she could have thought this girl was a boy in the first place. She was beautiful.

            "It's alright, it's meant to confuse," The girl motioned to her hat which she had thrown on a nearby table. Ginny had a hard time making out her words, her accent was so thick. "My name is Isabel Despencer," the girl paused to see if Ginny recognized her name. When Ginny made no acknowledgement, the girl bristled a bit but continued on. "Daughter to the Earl of Winchester, who's home you are now in," She took in Ginny's disheveled, wet, unsightly clothing as if for the first time. "I take it from your appearance that you are a bit lost, no?"

            Ginny nodded, not ready to trust herself to speak. She could feel her grip on reality sliding as the acidic taste of panic rose in the back of her throat. What was this girl talking about?

            Isabel smiled, not unfriendly. "We will help you," She told Ginny. "Follow me,"

            Ginny mutely followed her up the staircase that should be familiar but was distinctly not. Isabel went in the direction of Gryffindor tower but turned off into a hallway that Ginny had never noticed. Somewhere in the back of her head she recalled the castle liked to shift and change but it seemed so eerily still that she quickly pushed the thought away. This wasn't Hogwarts, she reminded herself.

            Isabel pushed open a door and motioned Ginny to follow her in. Once inside, two women, dressed in white cotton dresses with blue aprons, rushed over, immediately fussing over Isabel. They talked so fast Ginny could barely make out but a few words. "Oh, milady…out in the cold…dangerous times…pretending to be a boy…" The women were scolding as they petted Isabel's hair and clothes worriedly. Isabel stood patiently withstanding their prodding and reprimands. The women stopped only when they finally noticed Ginny. "And who is this?" One asked, hurrying over.

            Isabel looked at Ginny expectantly. Ginny realized she had to answer this question. "Umm, Ginny," she answered stupidly, looking at the woman who rushed over. Curiously, she began to poke at Ginny much in the same way she had Isabel. The woman looked up at Ginny's name.

            "Ginny?" She repeated, saying the word as if it were unfamiliar. "Are you from far away, my dear?" She asked, tsking at the dirtiness of Ginny's appearance.

            Ginny looked at Isabel helplessly. She didn't know what to say and she was desperately afraid of saying something wrong. Isabel smiled at Ginny's expression and gave her a small wink.

            "I'm afraid, Magilda, that Ginny has lost her memory. I found her wandering in her nightclothes and all she could recall was her name. I fear she is lost," Isabel informed the woman by Ginny, appearing sympathetic.

            Magilda was taking Ginny's cardigan off before Isabel finished. "Well, you poor child," She said in her thick accent. "A hot bath and a good meal should help. You're as skinny as a fence post, how long have you been lost?"

            "I-I don't remember," Ginny stammered uncertainly. This seemed satisfactory, however, as Magilda began busying herself with making two baths in two large wooden tubs in the middle of the room and didn't ask Ginny any more questions. The other woman began helping.

            Isabel walked over to Ginny, her gray eyes searching Ginny's face. "There is more going on here than appears," She said quietly, more of a statement than a question. "But I think you are as confused as I am. At least your face says so," She continued as if talking to herself. "You are just lucky I found you before de Ferrers' men did,"

            Ginny looked at her questioningly, but didn't get a chance to speak. The baths were ready.

* * * *

            Ginny had never been bathed before. Well, maybe her mom did when she was a baby, but not since Ginny could remember did she have some one stand by and help her. Magilda was her assistant, the other woman, whose name turned out to be Hannah, helped Isabel. Soap, washcloth, towel, whatever she needed, Magilda was ready with it. And yes, it did strike Ginny as odd to take a bath in the middle of a room next to another girl in another bathtub, but at this point, everything was odd. Ginny had stopped processing the oddities long ago. She had a theory about what was going on but she couldn't bring herself to make it a fully formed thought. The idea alone was scary.

            The clothing that Magilda brought for her was enough to confirm her suspicions, however. A long embroidered gown was laid on a nearby table as Ginny was helped into so many undergarments she couldn't remember the names of all of them. There was a debate about the corset, since she was already rail thin, but her chest was lacking enough that, in the end, it was decided she would benefit from one. Ginny didn't even have time to object, they strapped her in and cinched her tight before she could process what they said. Their accents were making their words hard to decipher.

            The dress was beautiful; green velvet that complimented her eyes, a high waistline and gold embroidery. The length was a bit long, it looked as if it were made for Isabel, which it most likely was. Magilda slipped green slippers that looked like ballet shoes on Ginny's feet before sitting her in a chair. Magilda's expert fingers twisted and pulled and yanked her hair until after a half hour Ginny thought she must be bald. Her entire scalp was burning but when Magilda held the mirror in front of her face Ginny thought it was all worth it. Her hair was twisted elegantly into braids that encircled her head with a few stray hairs in curls around her face. Ginny had never thought herself as beautiful, but this person in the mirror was definitely close.

            As Ginny followed Isabel, who was stunning in a gown of blue, similar to Ginny's, her thoughts raced. _I'm back in time. I'm in some other century_, she thought. The words rang in her head, leaving her with an empty feeling in her stomach. How was that possible? Time travel? That was a myth, a fairy tale.

            Her thought process was interrupted by the entrance into the Great Hall. There was no enchanted ceiling, there was not a head table and the four house tables she was used to. There was one long table, covered in a white tablecloth, with golden plates and wooden utensils. Golden candle bras held the candles and the walls were covered, again, by elaborate tapestries.

            There were already people at the table. The two men stood when the girls walked in, the lady remained seated. Ginny couldn't hold her gasp in when she looked at the two men. The youngest, closest to her, was none other than Draco Malfoy.

**A/N: Please review, it makes authors happy!!**

Special thanks to: Archer for being truthful and Kity and Ally for being my first reviewers ever! J


	3. Chapter 3

**Journey of Time**

Breea

_DISCLAIMER_: All Harry Potter characters are property of J.K. Rowling, plot based off her books and also Timeline by Michael Crichton. And you never know when a quote from Buffy the Vampire Slayer might jump in.

_A/N:_ This is not altogether historically accurate. I did as much research as I thought was necessary but I didn't want to over burden that aspect, as this is only a fan fic.

Chapter 3 

            Ginny gasped audibly when she saw Malfoy. He was the last person she expected to see. He stared back at her mutely, not a flicker of recognition to be seen. Actually, he looked rather angry at her presence. Then he seemed to realize she recognized _him_. He looked at her strangely but before he could speak Isabel broke the silence.

            "Mum, Da, Damien, this is Ginny," Isabel introduced. "She is lost and without her memory. I offered for her to stay with us until she can recall where she's from," She continued, explaining the situation. Ginny couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from Draco. Or was it Damien? Confusion was a familiar state by now.

            Isabel indicated to Ginny where to sit. Ginny took her seat, still looking at Damien. He stared back at her, gaze steady. She searched his face, looking for any bit of the familiar sneer she was used to. His eyes were rather blank, which struck Ginny as unusual before she reminded herself that he wasn't Malfoy.

            Conversation around her was a blur. Food was served in rapid succession; she barely started on what was in front of her before it was replaced by the next course. Ginny had never witnessed such large portions, either. She had to keep reminding herself that she was in some other time, an earlier decade. 

Isabel's parents were both polite but Damien didn't say a word to her, only glared scornfully. After dinner, Isabel got up, preparing to leave. Ginny followed suit, figuring Isabel was an example to follow. The men stood as the girls got up. Ginny had to smile. She wished chivalry was more prominent in her time, she could get used to this.

            On the way to their rooms, Isabel chatted freely about her parents and her brother, Damien. Ginny wasn't really paying attention; she was still amazed by how much Damien looked like Malfoy. She had been certain it was him.

            Isabel stopped in front of a door. "Your room," she pointed. Ginny thanked her, causing Isabel to grin. She turned to leave Ginny but stopped, glancing over her shoulder. "You know," Isabel said slowly. "I always wanted a sister. I hope you can stay a while," She smiled shyly before hurrying down the hallway.

            Ginny pushed the door open and surveyed her new room. It wasn't very large but compared to her room at the Burrow it was enormous. A four-poster bed was in one corner, covered in a thick green down comforter. Lying on top was a gown Ginny could only assume was to be her nightgown. There was a small stand under a high arched window that held a basin of steaming water and on the wall opposite the bed was a fireplace with a small, glowing fire. Ginny shut the door behind her, glad to finally be alone and have a chance to think.

            Using the water in the basin, she rinsed her face as best she could before putting the nightgown on. She sat crossed legged on the bed, staring into the fire, head in her hands, elbows resting on her knees.

            Her brain was finally accepting that she was in another time. Though all logic was against the idea of time travel, somehow she was in Hogwarts castle before it was Hogwarts castle. But how did she get here? And more importantly, how was she to get back?

            _The Tarot card_, she suddenly remembered. _That's how I got here_. The small hope the thought had given her was dashed quickly, however, when she realized two things. One, port keys don't work in reverse and two, she no longer had the Tarot card in her possession. It must still be on the hill with the ring of stones. A lot of bloody good it would do her there.

            Another thought nagged at the edge of her mind. Why was she here? What purpose was there to bring her back to this time? There had to be some reason. Maybe once she figured it out it would give her a clue on how to get back to her time. A glimmer of hope threatened to swell up. Ginny suppressed it, not wanting to get too optimistic. Nothing was predictable in this situation.

            Yawning, Ginny suddenly realized how tired she was. She crawled under the blanket and felt her eyes close immediately. At least she had a warm bed to sleep in. The last thought that plagued her mind before she fell into a deep sleep was about Damien. Why did he look so much like Draco Malfoy?

* * * *

  
            Ginny felt herself slipping back into wakefulness. She lied still, keeping her eyes closed, listening to the birds singing nearby. She remembered everything. She was hoping to wake up and find it was all a dream. She wanted to delay opening her eyes as long as possible.

            She was startled by a knock on her door causing her to sit up and open her eyes. Unfortunately, it hadn't been a dream. Ginny surveyed her room and found it much the same as when she went to bed, although now the fire was out and the water in the basin was sure to be stone cold. Heaving a large sigh she called to whoever was knocking on her door, "Come in!"

            Magilda burst through the door, barely shutting it behind her before bustling around the room. She had a new set of clothes thrown over her arm and a fresh basin of steaming water in her arms. Deftly, she switched the two basins and headed back toward the door. "I'll be back in a moment, child," She smiled quickly at Ginny before leaving in as much of a hurry as she came.

            Ginny set one foot on the ground, suddenly very thankful for the fur rug next to her bed. The stone floor looked cold. Wrapping her arms around herself for warmth, she hurried over to the basin and began splashing the warm water on her face. There was a washcloth hanging over the side, Ginny supposed it was for bathing. Actual baths must be less frequent without running water, she figured.

            Magilda returned shortly, pleased that Ginny had already figured out to use the basin. She helped her dress quickly, this time in less under garments and a much plainer dress. Magilda mentioned something about riding with Isabel but never elaborated. Ginny, still afraid of saying the wrong thing, just nodded and murmured sounds of agreement when necessary. Magilda pulled Ginny's hair up again, this time all in one bun at the top of her head. A few unruly curls escaped on their own but once again, Ginny was amazed at what the woman could do in such a short amount of time.

            Isabel came in shortly after Ginny was ready. Grabbing her hand, Isabel led her down the hallways and outside of the castle. "Do you ride horses where you are from, Ginny?" She asked lightly, still leading her by the hand.

            Ginny shook her head. Truthfully, she had never ridden a horse. This struck Isabel as peculiar and she told Ginny so. "Most people can't get places without riding horses. Do you ride in carriages then?" She guessed. Unsure how to answer, Ginny nodded. This seemed to please Isabel, causing Ginny to sigh with relief.

            "Well, Ginny, I never miss my morning ride." Isabel smiled secretively at her. "Although my Da must never know I do it every day. He feels horses are dangerous for women. I think differently," She winked. "But you already know that,"

            Ginny giggled and nodded, thinking Isabel was very brave for dressing as a boy and sneaking off into the woods. A thought struck her and she was about to ask her about the men that chased them when they reached the stables. Isabel let go of her hand and ran toward the stalls. Ginny jogged after her.

            "This is my horse," She pet the side of the chestnut mare's neck and stroked its muzzle lovingly. "Jehanne, named after Jehanne la Pucelle," Isabel didn't notice Ginny's blank look at the mention of the name. Her gaze had gone distant as she stared past her horse into memories only she could see. "Although my father does not know that either. It is still unacceptable for women to have any public power, even after everything she did for her country…" Isabel trailed off, petting her horse absently. Ginny was silent, still not knowing what to say.

            Luckily, Isabel seemed to snap back into reality. She smiled at Ginny. "You do not mind if I go riding for a few? You could watch the horses in the pasture or walk the gardens just south of the castle while you wait," Isabel looked hopefully at her.

            "I don't mind, Isabel," Ginny replied softly, causing the other girl to smile. "I'll find something to do, don't worry about me." Ginny returned the smile.

            Isabel ran off gleefully to have her stable boy help her saddle her horse. She was off and riding before Ginny could think of reconsidering. Ginny watched her ride off, realizing how alone and vulnerable she felt without Isabel nearby.

            She turned to head toward the gardens, hoping this new day would give her more insight on her predicament. Ginny went through the door and ran into someone coming in. "Oh, sorry," She mumbled, backing up and looking up to see who she bumped in to. Damien's cold eyes stared down at her. Ginny felt uneasiness sink into her stomach. He didn't seem pleased to see her.

            "Just who I wanted to see," He said, grabbing her arm and dragging her out of the stables. Ginny's eyes widened in surprise, at him grabbing her arm and his voice. He sounded just like Malfoy. The similarities were just too uncanny. This must be one of Draco's ancestors.

            "Let go of me," Ginny protested feebly. His grip was like a vice and her arm was beginning to go numb. He ignored her and dragged her toward a nearby tree on the edge of the forest. There he finally let go of her, throwing her in front of him.

            "Let us get one thing straight," He said, taking a menacing step toward her. "I don't take orders from a girl, much less from someone I don't know," His eyes were filled with fury. The one difference she could see right away was that Damien didn't keep his emotions in check, he let them show freely in his eyes, unlike Draco.

            "I wasn't ordering you around, you were hurting me, I wanted you to let me go," She replied angrily, suddenly having a sense of de ja vu. It was like arguing with Malfoy all over again.

            "I do not trust you, Ginny," He continued as if she hadn't even spoke. "If that is truly your name. You've befriended my sister and bewitched my servants into thinking you lost your memory but I can see in your eyes that you are lying." His own eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You are a spy for de Ferrers, are you not?"

            Ginny frowned at him, making sure her expression was confused. "de Ferrers? I don't even know what you are talking about," She replied, trying to keep from sounding angry.

            He roughly shoved her back up against the tree behind her, stepping closer to her. "Do not lie to me," He growled. "de Ferrers would do anything to get my father's land,"

            Ginny pushed him away, only causing him to take one step back. "I don't know who this de Ferrers person is, except your sister told me his men where the ones who tried to kill us yesterday. I'm not a spy," She insisted, trying to keep her voice even.

            He stared at her waiting for her to finish. Ginny didn't know what else to say. He already showed he had a hot temper, if she told him she was from the future would he even believe her? From the look on his face, her answer was clear. No.

            "And I did lose my memory," She said a bit quieter, making her voice as sincere as possible. "I don't know where I am," She told him truthfully.

            Damien continued to glare at her, sizing her up. She could hardly seem a threat to him; she was half a foot shorter and much scrawnier. He could knock her over with his pinky finger. He seemed to come to the same conclusion. He let his breath out slowly. "I will be watching you, _Ginny_," He said her name with so much malice it caused her heart to skip a beat. "I still think you are lying," He added, sneering unkindly at her.

            Ginny was tired of his condescending attitude toward her. It was too much like fighting with Malfoy for her own comfort. "Fine! I'm lying! Because I have so much to gain by lying to you and your family." She felt herself losing control of her anger. She turned on her heel and stomped into the forest before she would say something she would regret. She heard Damien call her name but she ignored him, beginning to run. It wasn't fair, she was in another time and she still couldn't get rid of Malfoy.

* * * *

            Ginny must have run a long way. When she turned to look over her shoulder, the castle was a good distance away when she spotted it over the treetops. She felt tears spilling down her cheeks and sat down to catch her breath before they blurred her vision. The only sounds around were that of birds singing and leaves rustling in the breeze.

            Hopelessness consumed her suddenly, causing her tears to evolve into sobs. She was trapped in a time she knew nothing about without any idea how to get home. Soon, the nice people that took her in would find out the truth; whether they believed it or not was another matter. She didn't know much about history but she knew if anyone got wind of her being a witch, thing could turn deadly, quick.

            When Ginny felt she couldn't cry another tear she stood up shakily, brushing herself off. She supposed she should head back before Isabel began to worry about her. She headed in the direction of the castle, drying her cheeks with the back of her hands.

            After a few minutes she looked up over the top of the trees, expecting to see the castle coming closer. Instead, she saw blue sky, dotted with a few clouds. She whipped her head around in the other direction; no castle.

            Spinning in circles, Ginny searched desperately for any sign of the castle. The search was futile; it wasn't in sight. Ginny felt panic starting to rise. _Great_, she thought, feeling stupid_, I'm lost_.

            The sun was directly overhead, indicating that it was noon but not being much help otherwise. Ginny kicked a nearby tree in frustration, immediately regretting it. She stubbed her toe, causing her to cry out in pain. She hopped on one foot a moment, muttering colorful language her brothers would be proud of, had they heard her.

            Her brothers. She hadn't thought of anyone missing her back home. She wondered what her family was doing right now. A fresh wave of tears threatened to spill.

            Sighing deeply, Ginny decided to continue in the direction she was going. She couldn't think about her family right now, she needed to get safe. She hobbled along, wincing every time she stepped on her stubbed toe.

            Ginny felt her heart jump when she found the road. She didn't know whether to be grateful or scared, remembering what happened last time she was on the road. She began following it off to the side, under the cover of trees, just to be safe. She hoped she was going in the correct direction.

            A noise ahead of her caused her to stop and look up sharply. Everything was still and quiet. _Probably just a squirrel_, she thought shakily, laughing aloud softly to calm her nerves. She continued walking, more carefully this time, keeping her eyes and ears on alert for anything that appeared out of the ordinary.

            She never knew the blow was coming. Something struck the side of her head, catching her by complete surprise. Ginny flew into the road, landing on her side, the wind knocked out of her. She lay there, gasping for breath, trying to blink away the stars that were forming in front of her eyes. A pair of feet appeared in her vision, reminding Ginny of something that she couldn't quite put her finger on. Before she could think about it any longer, she was being pulled roughly to her feet.

            "Whadda think?" A thick Irish accent asked. At first Ginny thought he was asking her but then she noticed the other guy nearby. Both were dressed in shabby, dark clothes, a few days worth of stubble on their faces. Their eyes were menacing and Ginny could see the glint of metal in their belts; they were armed. 

            "Git the money first," The other drawled. The first bandit smiled at Ginny, holding out his hand.

            Ginny had no money. She had nothing. And these men were most likely after more than money; she wouldn't live through this if she didn't escape. She stared at the bandit's open hand, gathering courage. She took a deep breath and turned to run in the other direction.

            The bandits had been ready for this, however. In two strides, the first was on her, grabbing her arm before she could get away. Ginny used this opportunity to scream as loud as she could, but it was cut off quickly by his other grubby hand clamping over her mouth. In the middle of the woods, screaming seemed futile anyhow.

            Pinning her against him, holding her arms behind her back with one hand, the other hand firmly over her mouth, the bandit turned her to face his friend who was grinning madly. He began advancing toward her, tsking. "Not vera smart, are ye, milady?" The bandit asked, knowing full well she couldn't answer. Ginny's eyes widened in fear. She couldn't get away from them both.

            The sound of hoof beats caused her heart to leap to her throat. Her first thought was of the riders that Isabel had told her were going to kill her when she first arrived. She didn't know if that was any better than these two bandits.

            The bandit that was advancing on her stopped and stared at something over her shoulder. Ginny tried desperately to look as well but the other was holding her firmly in place. With a sudden flash of black and silver, the man in front of her was knocked unconscious, falling to the ground like a rag doll. Ginny looked up to see a man on a horse, sword in hand. Damien had hit the bandit's head with the hilt of his sword. Ginny would have dropped her jaw in astonishment, had her face not been covered by the other bandit's hand.

            She felt herself shoved violently to the side, knocking her feet from under her. Ginny rolled on the ground, watching the still conscious bandit draw his own sword. Damien dismounted and readied himself for the fight that was about to ensue.

            The bandit struck first, going at Damien with such sudden force that Ginny cried out in surprise. Neither seemed to hear her, Damien was prepared for the move. The sound of metal on metal rang in the air. Ginny watched, fascinated, as the two men fought. Both seemed to be experts with swords.

            Ginny felt absolutely useless. She remembered reading stories of olden days when the girls would just hide and let the men do all the fighting. She had always laughed and thought them silly, why didn't they help by fighting back as well. It almost struck her funny that she was falling into that cliché at the moment.

            Damien was by far the superior sword fighter, but the bandit was willing to fight dirty. The clashing of swords continued until suddenly Damien stumbled in surprise. The bandit had thrown sandy from his pocket into Damien's face. Unable to defend himself, Damien staggered backward, his sword swinging blindly. The bandit grinned, ready for the kill.

            Ginny let instinct take over, leaving caution and rational thought behind. She felt her hand on a large rock and picked it up, standing quickly as she did so. She ran over to the unsuspecting bandit and bashed his head from behind, knocking him to the ground, but not knocking him out. He groaned loudly and began rolling to his feet, causing Ginny to back away slowly, a sense of dread rising in her stomach. What was she going to do now?  
            Luckily, she had bought enough time for Damien to get the sand from his eyes. He kicked the bandit's sword away and pointed his own at the bandit's throat. Scrambling to his feet the bandit realized he was unarmed and at a severe disadvantage. He turned on his heel and fled, leaving his friend unconscious and Damien and Ginny panting from the exertion.

            Damien sheathed his sword and called his dark horse back to him. He prodded the unconscious bandit with the toe of his boot, satisfying himself that he was out cold. Finally, he turned to Ginny. "Stupid girl," He hissed, eyes narrowing.

            Ginny felt her face flush. "Nice thing to say to someone who saved your life," She replied hotly, offended by his words.

            "I would not have been in the situation, had you not run off," He countered, voice even. "And you are lucky I was in the area, or you would be dead," He added, turning away from her.

            Ginny felt suddenly sheepish. He was right about that. And it _had_ been stupid for her to get lost in the first place. She took a deep breath, calming herself. "Thank you," She said quietly, just loud enough for him to hear.

            He stopped readying his horse but didn't turn. He was silent for so long, Ginny began to wonder if he was okay. She took a step forward, causing him to face her. His eyes weren't so cruel, although friendly was not a word to describe them either. Perhaps indifferent would be a better adjective. "You are welcome," He replied hesitantly. 

He offered his hand to help her onto his horse. Ginny shook her head violently. "I don't ride," She told him, afraid of looking like a fool.

Damien stared at her but only shrugged. "The castle is too far to walk on foot," He informed her. "And I will be riding with you, so that doesn't matter,"

Ginny gulped, staring nervously up at the saddle. She took his hand and put a foot on the stirrup, pulling herself up on the horse. It took a step forward, causing Ginny to stifle a scream. She had never been fond of large animals. Damien, amused expression on his face, mounted the horse behind her and urged it forward, going slowly.

They rode in silence for a while, Ginny painfully aware of how tight he was holding her to keep her from falling over sideways. Finally, unable to bear the silence any longer she asked, "How did you find me?"

He didn't answer right away. Being held firmly in position, Ginny couldn't turn to look at him so she had to be content with waiting for an answer. "Coincidence," was all he ended up saying.

Ginny made a small noise of disgust. "That's all you have to say? Coincidence?" She shook her head slightly. "You're almost worse than Malfoy," She murmured, not realizing she spoke aloud.

She felt him shift to look down at her. "Pardon me?" He asked. Ginny didn't have to see his face; she could hear the scowl in his voice. When she didn't respond, unsure of what to reply, he sighed in frustration. "After you ran away I went on my daily ride anyway," He explained, not sounding particularly happy about it. "I heard you scream, I came, and you saw the rest," Damien finished, urging the horse to trot a bit faster.

Ginny frowned. "So after I ran away, you didn't try to come find me?"

"No," He replied sharply. "I did not realize you were an imbecile and would get lost and attacked by bandits. I did not figure you would get so far away,"

Ginny's head jerked up at his words. "I am _not_ an imbecile," she protested hotly. "Is all you can do insult me?"  
            Ginny felt him shake her violently. "It is not an insult when it is the truth," He hissed in her ear. "I still do not trust you, milady," He relaxed his grip on her a bit. 

Ginny waited for him to finish his speech but apparently, he was already done. She rolled her eyes, thankful when the action caused her to spot the castle not far away. She couldn't wait to get away from this mean, spiteful guy, who happened to rescue her from her death. In a way, he was her hero. In many other ways, he was annoying the hell out of her. At least she saved his life as much as he saved hers. She would hate to indebted to Malfoy, or any one of his ancestors.

"I'm sorry for being so harsh," Damien said suddenly, breaking her train of thought.

"Hmmph?" was all Ginny could manage to get out, surprised as she was by his words.

"We are in a civil dispute with another Earl, the Earl of Derby, Sir Robert de Ferrers," Damien explained. "He wants our lands but dares not attack us directly, not yet. Our army is larger, our castle better defended, but he fights unfairly," He seemed reluctant to explain but for Ginny it was making certain pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

"How?" She prompted, wanting him to continue.

"He hides in the woods, ambushes unsuspecting riders and travelers. Intercepts our incoming and outgoing supplies. He figures he will bleed us dry then attack when we are weak."

"Why are you telling me this?" Ginny asked suddenly.

Damien paused, obviously thinking. Finally he replied slowly, "I do not trust you, but I do not think you are a spy for de Ferrers. I think you are lying to me and my family, but you are no spy." He admitted. The castle was within sight but now Ginny was disappointed; just as she was getting answers.

"You are not smart enough," He finished. Since her back was to him she didn't see his smirk, which would have reminded her, once again, of Draco. With a cry of impatience, she slid sideways off the horse and out of his reach, falling to the ground with a thump. Scrambling to her feet she took off for the castle, leaving Damien to watch after her, shaking his head in slight amusement.

**_Please Review!_**

_Thanks to those who have:_ Crystal Lily, Amanda Mancini (I haven't read that story of hers but I love her stuff, I'll have to check it out), RavenFox CrimsonCat, Alizee, Stargazer, lupe silverwing (It was a great book, but I think the similarities are ending now, hehe), AdaRen, Princess Tangawine, and Krissy. 

_Bless you guys!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Journey of Time**

Breea

_DISCLAIMER_: All Harry Potter characters belong to JK Rowling, and anyone else that bought the rights to them; the others are my little creations. Plot loosely based off Michael Crichton's Timeline.

_A/N:_ This is more of a plot mover, shorter, but I promise next chapter the snogging commences!

**Chapter 4**

            Ginny made her way back to her room, grateful for the fresh basin of water that awaited her. She was covered in mud, her clothes and her face, and she would dread to look at herself in a mirror. Washing up as best she could, she found a new, plain dress on her bed. Putting it on hastily, Ginny collapsed in her bed, exhausted. Thoughts swirled viciously through her head, thoughts of her situation, of ways to get out of it, the people she was surrounded by…especially Damien. She had almost believed he was about to accept her, bringing her guard down against him. Then he insulted her again, a real Malfoy thing to do.

            Ginny tossed in the bed, lying on her side. What she should be concentrating on was getting home, not some stupid fight she had with Dra-Damien.

            The door burst open, interrupting her thoughts. Isabel rushed in, eyes flashing frantically. They rested on Ginny and her expression changed to one of relief. "There you are! Damien told me he found you," Isabel rushed over and sat on the bed. "Are you alright?"

            Ginny sat up, brushing a few stray copper strands of hair from her face. "Yes, I'm fine, Isabel," Ginny assured her.

            Isabel's eyes remained worried but she smiled. "Good. When Damien told me you ran off into the woods I was concerned," She looked thoughtful, as if remembering something. "Damien was as well. It's a good thing he went after you, the forest can be dangerous. What made you do something so foolish?" Isabel implored, not as an insult but she was truly curious.

            Ginny hesitated. Damien had been worried about her? That was not the impression she got after her rescued her. He was probably worried about what he was going to tell his sister when she found out he practically chased her away. Leave it to a Malfoy to be worried about his own neck. Her rescue suddenly didn't seem so gallant.

            "I-I was exploring," She lied. _Great, now you're covering for him_, she thought crossly. "I know it wasn't the smartest idea-"

            "Certainly not!" Isabel cut her off. "My family is at war with a nearby Earl. Off of the castle grounds is not safe," She warned.

            Ginny nodded, promising not to do it again. "Sorry, Isabel,"

            Isabel held up a hand. "No apologies," She smiled. "You are safe, that's all that matters," Her eyes clouded over for a moment before returning to their happy state. "Mayhap you would like to see the gardens now?" She asked. "We could talk a bit," Isabel added hopefully.

            For lack of anything better to do, Ginny agreed. Maybe she could ask Isabel some questions that would help her find some answers to the mystery of how to get home. Ginny followed her down the corridor.

            The clanking of steel against steel caught both girls' attention. Isabel diverted their course, heading them in the direction the sound was coming from. Ginny followed her into a large, open room with floor to ceiling windows letting sunlight stream in. Two men were sword fighting in the middle of the large room.

            Isabel giggled in delight. "Ginny," She said in her think accent, "You are witnessing two of the finest sword fighters in England. It is considered a privilege to watch them practice," Isabel nodded in the fighters' direction, sending Ginny's attention back to the two men.

            She recognized them as Damien and his father, the Earl of Winchester. They were both smiling as they fought, deep in concentration, trying to anticipate the other's moves. Neither noticed they had a small audience.

            Ginny could only stare, fascinated. The metal glinted in the sunlight and each swing was accented by the metallic clang of contact with the other sword. Her eyes lingered on Damien, watching his every move. Even if he was an irritating, arrogant git, he _did_ save her life when he could have let her run off and get herself killed. Plus, he was in much better shape then most of the guys back in her time; broader chest, bigger arms; it must be from all the sword fighting-"

            _Ginny Weasley_, her mind cut her train of thought off. _You are not about to fantasize lewd thoughts about this guy who resembles Draco Malfoy and is most likely one of his ancestors_. Ginny shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Not to mention, she was in another time and didn't plan on staying any longer than she had to.

            Isabel was tugged at her sleeve. Ginny followed her silently until they were out in the garden. Isabel turned to her with a sly smile. "You fancy my brother," It was a statement, not a question. Ginny looked appalled.

            "I do not," She protested loudly.

            Isabel only giggled. "You do, too," She teased. "I saw you looking at him just now,"

            Ginny shook her head violently. "No, Isabel, he just reminded me of someone," She insisted. She realized her overreacting was only convincing Isabel more. Ginny sighed. "He is very nice looking," She finally admitted, causing Isabel to clap her hands together in delight. "But," Ginny continued, giving the other girl a warning glance. "I will not be here very long so I don't wish to get in any…romantic…entanglements…" Ginny trailed off, looking up toward the clouding sky.

            Isabel was suddenly serious. "Ginny, you have not told me why you are here or where you are from," she reminded her. Ginny had forgotten about Isabel covering for her earlier.

            "Oh-I, uh," Ginny stammered, not wanting to say the wrong thing. "You were actually pretty close. I, uh, am lost and I am not sure why I am here," She said vaguely.

            Isabel nodded, but it was obvious she expected Ginny to continue. Ginny struggled to find something to say that would make sense. Finally, she sighed with resignation. "I'm from far away, Isabel, from a place unfamiliar to you. That's…that's all I can really say,"

            Isabel looked pained but, again, nodded. "I trust you, Ginny. Whatever help you need, let me know,"

            Ginny seemed to find this amusing. "Well, could you tell your brother that? He doesn't seem to trust me, much less like me,"

            Isabel laughed along with her. "He is a bit harsh, is he not?" She agreed. "He is just protective of his family, it makes him slightly judgmental,"

            Isabel looked up to the sky which was quickly darkening with gray clouds. "Rain," She mumbled unhappily. "We best get inside," Isabel motioned for Ginny to follow her.

            Ginny felt bad for not being totally truthful to Isabel. She had been nothing but a friend to Ginny since she arrived here but Ginny also knew that telling the truth was not a possibility. No one would believe her, not even Isabel.

            Isabel's words rang in Ginny's mind. _'You fancy my brother.'_ Ginny had denied it, but now she was reconsidering. Even though he looked like Malfoy, he wasn't him, he was a different person. More heroic, more gallant, more built…

            Ginny slapped herself, mentally. _Stop it!_ She thought irritably. _He's from another **time** for Merlin's sake. You can't **like** him,_

            "Time for dinner," Isabel informed Ginny when they were back inside the castle, causing all thoughts of Damien to flee Ginny's mind, for the time being.

* * * *

            Dinner was much the same as the night before. Rain had started and could be heard pounding on the roof above. Ginny found herself distracted, glancing at Damien every few minutes, trying to read his thoughts. More than once she caught him staring back.

            Shouts from the entrance hall caused them all to look up from their meal. Ginny saw a terrified look pass over Isabel's face. Were they under attack?

            Ginny, along with the rest of the table, looked toward the doorway, where the commotion was coming from. Two cloaked, dark, wet figures were flanked by two guards and preceded by a harried looking servant.

            "They insisted on seeing you, sir," the servant looked none too pleased with this information.

            Sir Despencer rose from his seat, however, with a pleasant, welcoming smile on his face. His kind eyes turned to the two rain soaked strangers. "What can I do for you?" he asked politely.

            The two figures pulled the hoods of their cloaks from their faces. One was a man with dark hair and mustache and shifty, darting eyes. He spoke with an unusual accent. "Milord, we seek shelter for our selves and our companions. The rain is unrelenting and I fear you are the closest roof in the area." He ended his plea with a small bow.

            Ginny missed most of this, though. Her eyes were trained on the other stranger, a young woman, not much older than Ginny.

            _Darkness._

            Flashes of her dream replayed in her mind as she stared at the girl with long, curly, dark hair.

            _Voices._

            The girl stared back at Ginny, eyes unwavering.

            _Door opening._

            Neither girl notice what was happening around them. The Earl was telling the servant to show the gypsies to the abandoned stables on the east lawn.

            _Long, curly haired silhouette._

            Was this the girl from her dream? Did she have answers? Ginny's eyes widened as the girl smiled at her, then nodded.

            _Falling._

            Then, as suddenly as they appeared, they were gone, being led by the very disgruntled servant. Ginny blinded back to reality.

            _That was weird,_ she thought, taking a deep breath. She glanced across the table at Damien who was watching her curiously. The end of her dream picked up in her mind. Had that been Draco who tired to kill her? Or Damien?


	5. Chapter 5

**Journey of Time**

_Disclaimer_: Plot, mine; characters not in HP books, mine; characters from HP books, anything related to HP books, not mine.

_A/N_: Yey, I like this chapter! I really hope it's as much fun to read as it was to write! (*hint hint* review!) I try not to post a chapter until I have the next one written but I might break that rule on this chapter...I'm just so excited about it! And the story is only about halfway through...so don't think it's the end...

Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, you guys RoXoRs! I appreciate every single one of them. And I'm beginning to like Damien a bit myself...

****

**Chapter 5**

            Ginny opened her bedroom door and peeked out into the darkened hallway. Looking quickly left then right, she ascertained that she couldn't see anyone around. Good. She paused, straining her ears for any unusual sound. Only the steady beat of rain on the roof above. Excellent.

            She slipped out from behind the door and tiptoed her way down the deserted hall. She still had her nightgown on and also her newly washed and returned cardigan. She decided to keep her feet bare since she was most likely about to be soaked. She wasn't sure how far away the east lawn stables were from the castle but it was raining pretty hard; she was sure to be sopping wet in a minute.

            Ginny found her way to the front door, thinking quickly. If the castle was east, the east lawn would technically have to be behind the castle. She had forgotten, however, about the guards.

            The doors were slightly uneven so she peered through the crack they made. One appeared to be sleeping, the other she couldn't tell. If he wasn't, she had to come up with a quick excuse for traipsing around the grounds in her nightclothes. Holding her breath, she pulled the door open slowly. Neither guard turned. The second one was sleeping propped up against the sidewall.

            Gratefully, Ginny let her breath out slowly and ran past them. Grinning inwardly, she wondered what the Earl of Winchester would think of his guards sleeping on the job, but she didn't give it a second thought. Soaked in an instant, she jogged toward the back of the castle, staying close to the stone wall. She reached the east lawn, spotting the stables; there was a single window with candlelight coming through. Pulling her cardigan tighter over her shoulders, hoping for some warmth, she dashed toward the stables, intent on getting there. She _had_ to speak with that woman.

            Reaching the door she hesitated before finally knocking. The door was thrown back and the man that had entered the Great Hall earlier stood there, glowering down at her. "You've been expected," He said gruffly in his strange accent. He stood back to let her in.

            Shaking, with cold or nervousness, she wasn't sure, Ginny entered the unsteady building. To her right was the stable area, she could hear voices laughing and talking in strange languages. But the man put a rough hand on her shoulder and steered her to the left where there was a door. Opening it, he shoved her inside and closed the door behind her. Ginny glanced back at the door before looking around the room. There was a makeshift bed of old straw with a blanket on top. The floor was dirt and the room smelled of earth and rotting wood. Ginny spotted the woman on a stool near the window at a small table. There was another stool and on the table was a burning candle. The woman motioned Ginny to sit down with a soft smile.

            Numb from the cold, dripping from the rain, Ginny walked over and sat stiffly. She never took her eyes off the gypsy. 

            The woman looked Ginny up and down, delight in her eyes. Finally, she spoke in a rich voice with the same strange accent. It was the voice from Ginny's dream. Somehow, Ginny was not surprised. "You have questions," the woman stated. Ginny nodded once. "And you think I have the answers." The woman arched an eyebrow at her.

            Ginny was surprised when she heard her own voice ask, "Do you?"

            The woman chuckled then tilted her head. "Some," was all she replied.

            "I had a dream of you," Ginny whispered, thinking that this encounter seemed strangely surreal itself.

            The woman nodded. "I am not surprised," She replied simply. "I've been waiting for you," She added.

            Ginny sucked in her breath quickly but didn't speak; only stared at the woman. She was quite beautiful; long, curly, raven dark hair, piercing black eyes and smooth, pale skin. Ginny waited for the woman to continue.

            "My name is Kiandra," the woman looked out the window. "I am…special…to these people. Special in a way that can never be known to others." Kiandra looked back to Ginny. "What do you know of magic?" she asked bluntly.

            Ginny was caught off guard. Wasn't magic forbidden in this century? She remembered reading about the women accused of being witches that were exiled or burned for being different. Most of the time, they weren't even magic people, just outcasts and nuisances that the public needed to get rid of. To speak openly of magic had to be dangerous. The woman was waiting for Ginny's response.

            "You know why I'm here?" Ginny answered the question with a question.

            Kiandra laughed. "Smart girl," She nodded again. "You are here because I brought you here," She grinned wryly. "Does that make you more comfortable to speak of such things?"

            Ginny was full of questions now. "How did you bring me here? Why? Why am I here? Can I get back, is there a way?"

            The woman held up her hand, silencing her. "You must answer my question first, then I will tell you all I know."

            Ginny took a deep breath, sizing Kiandra up, wondering if she was trustworthy. _What do I have to lose?_ She thought finally, letting her breath out slowly.

            "My name's Virginia, but everyone calls me Ginny," She started, figuring it would be nice to introduce herself as well. "I'm from the 20th century, 1997 to be exact," Kiandra clapped her hands together excitedly but didn't speak. Ginny continued. "Magic, let's see, there's so much…" Ginny launched into an explanation as best she could about Muggles and Wizards and her life at Hogwarts. Kiandra listened enthusiastically, only making Ginny pause a few times by asking questions, but most of the time listening silently. Ginny finished by saying that witchcraft was still not acceptable by all Muggles, but most of the time the witches and wizards could hide it from those who wished not to believe. "Oh yes, and burning people at the stake is no longer acceptable," She added.

            Kiandra's eyes were lit up with delight. "Your time sounds fascinating, Ginny. I must admit, that is why I created the spell, I wanted to know about the future," She confided. "The 15th century is much to mundane for my tastes," Her eyes looked down at the table, losing some of their luster. "I have always had…'special' abilities, since I was younger. My mum hid them from everyone, afraid I would be put to death by people who didn't understand. After she died, this clan of gypsies, unafraid of unusual happenings, took me in. Some may be magic people themselves, although I have never observed anyone attempt anything unusual." Kiandra looked back up to Ginny. "I am rambling…you deserve an explanation," She smiled stiffly.

            Ginny nodded. That's what she wanted, and explanation of what was happening. Kiandra exhaled slowly and looked out the window. "I never thought it would actually work," She started, pausing. It seemed forever before she spoke again, the only noise being that of the rain falling on the sagging roof above. "I am a curious girl, by nature, Ginny." Kiandra began again. "The future is my true weakness, I am obsessed with finding out all I can about it." She pulled something from her robes, setting it on the table in between them. It was a deck of Tarot cards, the back the same as the one Ginny used to port to this time. Ginny let an audible gasp escape her lips. She turned upset eyes to Kiandra, waiting for her to continue.

            "Tarot cards," Kiandra nodded. "They have these in your time?" At Ginny's nod she proceeded, shuffling the cards unconsciously. "They were invented about ten years ago, 'Visconti Trumps' they are known as, to most. I chose 'The Wheel' as it involves the properties of Time and Knowledge. I researched for almost a year before I attempted to enchant the card with a spell of my own making. The intention was to send myself into the future; however, I must have mixed words up or said them incorrectly. I thought I had failed, that my card didn't work." Kiandra turned her dark eyes on Ginny, smiling slightly. "I guess I was wrong," she whispered. "It worked, just not how I intended."

            There was another long pause. "Can you reverse it?" Ginny finally asked the question that was bearing most on her mind. 

The woman looked her straight in the eye. "There is no reversal that I know of. I did not think of one much less make one. When I went into the future, I wanted to stay," She informed her, looking a bit sad. "There could be a way, but I do not know what it is," she said quieter.

Ginny couldn't stop the disappointed sigh from escaping. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. _Another dead end_, she thought wearily. _I may be stuck here forever_. "Why me?" She asked out loud, biting her lip to hold back the tears that were suddenly threatening.

Kiandra looked up at Ginny. "That I can answer," she grinned half-heartedly. "Although it may not be the answer you want to hear," she added. Ginny looked at her, waiting for her to explain.

"Magic has a life of it's own, it's a living, breathing entity. It only needs people to give it life, it decides it's own fate. Once a spell is cast, it has a mind of it's own. It chooses whom it obeys, it chooses who it wants to effect. I only started the magic with my spell on the card, I gave it a beginning. It has created it's own end. Magic chooses who it will act on; it chose you, not the other way around."

Ginny stared at her, processing her words. They made sense, as weird as the concept was. "So I have to figure out the trick, the ending that the spell created itself?"

"Yes," Kiandra replied.

Ginny sighed. She was right, that wasn't the answer she wanted to hear. Kiandra smiled. "I will help you find your way back, Ginny. You're not alone anymore." She reached a hand out and rested it on Ginny's shoulder, trying to reassure her.

Ginny stood up, angrily pushing her chair back, jumping away from Kiandra's hand. "You did this," she hissed; mad at the situation, more than mad at the girl. Kiandra kept her face indifferent but her eyes showed that Ginny's anger hurt her. Ginny didn't care. "You brought me back here by messing with something you didn't understand. Now I'm stuck here, away from my family and my friends, and all you can offer me is _how_ I got back here. No solutions. No answers. You say you'll help me...how? How can you? If what you say is true, then there's no way to know if the spell will ever end!" 

Ginny's raised voice caused a knock on the door. The man opened it, looking at Kiandra with concern. "Is everything alright?" He asked, glaring at Ginny.

Kiandra nodded quickly. "Yes, I think it's time for Ginny to go back to the castle, however. She's had enough for one night." Kiandra turned her gaze back to Ginny. "We'll talk more tomorrow morning," She promised.

Ginny stared at the woman. Tomorrow? She wanted to go home now. She opened her mouth to protest but a rough shake of her arm stopped her. The man was dragging her out of the room, whether she wanted to go or not. Ginny's mouth snapped shut, allowing herself to be pulled; there was no way she could fight him. He shoved her outside and slammed the door in her face, seeming to be glad to be rid of her.

Ginny stood in the rain, staring at the closed door. The only person that could answer her questions was inside. But she didn't have the answers, not the right answers at least. Ginny refused to believe she was stuck here forever. She turned gradually and began her way back to the castle slowly.

The rain hadn't let up in the time she spent inside. Ginny hardly noticed. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't even notice when someone stepped in front of her until she barreled into them head first. Two arms reached out to steady her before she fell backward. Ginny looked up and met the gray eyes of Damien Despencer. 

"What are you doing out here?" She asked a bit breathless from their run in.

"I could ask the same," he growled, shoving her away from him. "Except I know,"

Ginny blinked, staring at him. "You know?" She asked, wondering what he meant.

"I followed you out here, _Ginny_," His voice was deathly quiet but she could hear it clear as day over the rain that poured around them. "I followed you out here and I listened to what you said, _Ginny_. I know."

Ginny's jaw dropped, she was struck speechless. She grasped for words to explain but none came to mind, she could only stare at Damien who began advancing on her. "You are a witch," His voice was icy but Ginny could swear his eyes looked hurt. She took a small step backward.

"It-It's not like you think, Damien," Ginny stammered, finding her voice. "I never lied to you,"

"You lie as we speak," Damien cut her off, halting his progression toward her. "You do not know what I think, so how could you assume I am wrong?"

Ginny blinked and frowned, not expecting that answer. "Damien, please, I'm only trying to find my way back, I'm just a victim in this whole thing," She begged, unsure of the expression on his face. The rain matted his hair to his head and rivulets of water fell down his face. His gray eyes searched her face intensely but the rest of his manner was unreadable. "Don't hate me," She added before she could stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes pleading with his. Both forgot it was raining.

He blinked, expression changing to surprise. "I do not hate you, Ginny," He replied, taking a small step in her direction. He was only inches away from her, but somehow, Ginny didn't feel threatened. A thought crossed her mind that startled her. _He finally understands._

"Ginny," He started, but faltered. He brought a hand to her cheek, brushing the back of his knuckles on her soaked jawbone. Ginny felt her eyes widen in surprise. He looked so sad, so uncertain that Ginny wasn't sure what to do.

She didn't have to know. He closed the gap between them, bringing his lips to hers. Ginny was so startled she couldn't react at first. Their lips were cold from the rain but the instant after they touched she could feel them warm. She found herself kissing him back, feeling her body sink into his. One of his hands found its way around the back of her head and she felt him run his fingers through her wet hair. The kiss grew more intense, his other hand lifting on her lower back. In the recesses of Ginny's mind she faintly thought he smelled like a mix of rainwater and ginger. She felt intense emotions swirling in her head, making her dizzy.

He was the one to pull away, still holding her in his arms. He looked down at her, eyes still sad. "I am sorry, I should not have,"

Ginny silenced him, shaking her head. "No, Damien, don't be sorry," She whispered. She stepped away from him. "We just...can't." She finished, her own eyes sorrowful.

With a small nod, he too took a step back. He looked up to the sky, seeing the rain as if it just started. "We better get you inside," He said lightly. "We would not want you to become ill," Damien took her hand and led her back toward the castle without another word.

Ginny felt herself shiver, but from the chill of being drenched or from his touch on her skin, she wasn't sure. That kiss had been intense but she knew in her head she couldn't dwell on it. If she was to find a way back to her time, she couldn't attach herself to anything, or _anyone_, in this time. She had to suppress any feelings she had for Damien. Her heart was telling her that was easier said than done.

Sneaking back through the still sleeping guards, Damien paused in the Entrance Hall. "This is where I leave you," He turned to face her, his face barely lit by the last burning candles. The sound of raindrops on the roof echoed in the hall. He bent in a small bow and took her hand, brushing the back of her knuckles along his damp lips. "Good night, Ginny," He whispered, before backing away into the shadows.

Ginny stood in the Entrance Hall, dripping, for the longest time. She was too unsure of herself to move. She glanced from side to side, but no one was coming. The castle seemed peaceful and at rest. _I should really get to bed_, she thought, suddenly exhausted by the day's events.

There was a pounding on the door, so sudden Ginny almost tripped over her own feet when she heard it. Nervously, she turned, eyes wide, holding her breath, waiting to see if it happened again. It did, this time, she was facing the door, and she could see it buckle inward with the blow. She started to creep backward, too terrified to think clearly.

The next blow splintered the wood. Whatever was trying to come through would accomplish just that within seconds. Ginny took a deep breath to yell for help, regaining some of her senses, when the final blow tore through the door. 

Soldiers came pouring in like insects, spreading out and filling the hall. The tallest and most heavily armored, apparently the leader by the way he yelled at the others, spotted her and moved toward her. Ginny was paralyzed, caught like a deer in headlights. She couldn't feel her legs and they wouldn't move, as much as she willed them too. She heard herself whimper slightly as the man heading toward her raised his sword over his head, and she saw the beginning of its arch downward.

She was suddenly thrown to the side, the wind knocked out of her, her wet hair clinging to her face. She couldn't see anything but she felt herself being pushed to her feet and in a certain direction. Not knowing what else to do, amazed she was still alive, she allowed herself to be shoved into a room. Ginny heard the door crash shut behind her and a noise like a lock being turned.

Desperately she began to pull at her hair, trying to wipe it from her eyes. Succeeding, she saw someone with silvery hair trying to push a table in front of the door. Ginny ran over hurriedly and helped Damien shove it the final few feet. Just in time it seemed, as the pounding began only seconds after.

Panting, they both sank to the floor. Ginny looked at him, still gasping for breath. "You saved me," She breathed, a bit in awe.

He shook his head and sat back, taking a deep breath. "No, they are still coming," He pointed at the door. "I hope I have not only delayed the inevitable." He muttered unhappily. 

Ginny was at a loss for words. She stared at him helplessly as he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the dark gray stone wall. There was a tear in the sleeve of his shirt and upon further inspection it seemed to be bleeding quite a bit.

"You're hurt," She stated, looking around for something to stop the bleeding. They were in the practice room that Ginny had seen Damien and his father practicing swords in earlier. Not much but metal and wood.

Damien waved it off, not opening his eyes. "I am fine." He replied.

Ginny realized it must have happened when he pushed her out of the way of that man's sword. Looking down at her soaked clothes she stood up and ran over to a set of swords. Finding the sharpest she could, she began sawing at the hem of her nightgown until it began to rip on it's own. Letting the sword fall to the ground with a clatter, she tore off a strip of cloth from the bottom of her clothes and went back over to Damien. Tying it tightly around his wound, she looked at his face. He seemed pale, but that was usual for him...or was that Draco? Wasn't Damien a bit tanner than Malfoy? Her head was swimming.

Renewed pounding on the door made Damien's eyes fly open. He looked down at her handiwork then at her with an attempted smile. Pushing himself to his feet he glanced around the room. "Over there, go," he pointed to a corner concealed in shadows.

"What about you?" Ginny asked, standing, grabbing his good arm. 

He looked down at her, his eyes softening for the briefest second. "Do not worry about me," He replied, kissing her gently on the forehead. He pushed her lightly in the direction of the corner and went to retrieve a sword. He was going to fight.

Not knowing what else to do, Ginny obeyed him, heading for the dark corner. She watched as he swung the sword in practice with his good arm. He kept glancing at the door, knowing they would break through any moment. He seemed to avoid looking toward her corner.

The door finally gave in; three soldiers crawled in over the table, followed by their leader. He was glaring harshly at Damien, though Damien didn't seem to notice. But Ginny could see he was watching their every breath out of the corner of his eye. 

"Leave us," the leader snarled, motioning for the soldiers to go. Hesitating only a moment, the soldiers crawled back out the way they came.

"deFerrers," Damien said in greeting, still not looking at him. "You have made a mistake," Ginny shuddered at the coldness of Damien's voice. DeFerrers didn't even flinch.

"We shall see," he replied, crouching down in what Ginny figured was the 'ready to fight' position. Damien followed suit.

Ginny held her breath as she stared at the two of them in their face off. The rain had let up slightly and the incessant patter on the roof was waning. The moon must have been peeking from behind the clouds because it was shining through the window on Damien's hair, illuminating him, making him look surreal. The candles that we were still lit burnt low, fluttering, ready to go out. Ginny felt like time stopped, that the moment lasted for hours.

Damien liked to be on the defensive, he waited for deFerrers to strike first.

The clang of metal was startling to Ginny, still unfamiliar to her ears. The noise caused her to breathe, a good reaction since she was starting to see black spots.

The swords were a silver blur to Ginny. Her mind could barely grasp that they were actually moving that fast with sharp, pointy objects. The noise filled the room, drowning out the rain.

Damien's face was a picture of concentration. DeFerrers had a slight maniacal look, maybe it was the evil smile, but he looked ready to win at any cost. And he was much better than the bandit she saw Damien fight earlier.

Damien held himself well, especially considering his injury. Ginny almost forgot he had it. Her eyes widened when she saw deFerrers strike at an unprotected side of Damien. She gasped silently when his sword contacted with skin, slicing through Damien's shirt.

It was what Damien wanted; it left deFerrers open for the final, killing strike. Damien glared fiercely into the dying face of his enemy, pulling his sword out from deFerrers' body and shoving him to the ground.

Ginny couldn't move. In her time she would have just witnessed a self-defense murder. Here, in this time, this was commonplace. She stared at deFerrers' dead body, feeling sick to her stomach. The realization that it could have been Damien caused her knees to fail and she sat down hard on the stone floor.

Damien turned his head toward her. Their eyes locked across the room He took a step toward her then cringed, holding his wound and sinking to his knees. His sword dropped with a clatter.

Even though she lost the feeling in her legs, Ginny got up and raced to his side. He was on the ground, looking paler than Malfoy, eyes closed. She put his head in her lap, afraid for a moment he, too, was dead. His eyes fluttered open to her immense relief.

"You're not dead," She sniffed, brushing his still damp hair from his forehead.

"Not yet," He grunted, attempting to push himself up on one elbow. It hurt too much; he fell back, wincing.

Ginny leaned over him, inspecting his wound. It didn't look too deep but she didn't know much about 15th century medicine. She wished she had her wand.

She felt the tears begin to threaten. "I don't know what to do for you," She whispered worriedly.

His gray eyes, clouded with pain, met hers but he managed to smile. "I will be okay," He promised, reaching a hand up to touch her cheek. She saw him wince slightly at the effort.

"I-I wanted to thank you for saving me," She thought maybe if she talked it would make him or her feel better. "Twice," She added, seeing a tear roll down her cheek and fall on his shirt. It wasn't helping her.

His expression turned solemn. "Ginny, don't," He said, his voice rough with pain. His fingers brushed a tear from her cheek before falling to his chest. She took it in her own hand, sniffing.

"I wish things were different, Damien," She rushed on, not heeding his plea. "I can't stay, I have to find a way back," She felt herself ready to start sobbing and quelled the feeling before continuing. "I wish I could because, I...I'm..."

His eyes were bright with unshed tears. "I know," He tried to give a reassuring smile but to Ginny it just looked pained.

_I love you_, She thought, trying to convey it with her eyes. _We can never be together, but you understand me, and you've saved me and I've fallen in love with you._

Ginny saw his eyes widen with surprise. "What?" She asked aloud, looking over her shoulder at the empty room. She turned back to him, worried. "What's wrong?"

He held her hand up that was clasped to his. It was pale in the moonlight, almost translucent...wait, it _was_ translucent! She saw her hand fading in his and looked down to find that she could see through her whole body.

"Wait!" She cried, realizing the spell was over and she was going back to her time. But she wasn't ready, it was too soon. But the spell, ever intent with it's own agenda, did not listen.

"Good-bye, Ginny," Damien managed to sit up and hug her unsubstantial, quickly fading body. It looked as if it took all his strength to do so. "I love you, as well,"

And suddenly, the world was black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Please take a second to review, I will luvs you forevers!_


	6. Chapter 6

Journey in Time

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_Disclaimer:_ I own...the plot...a few characters....all HP stuff is not mine, unfortunately. But it's a nice thought, imagine all the time I could spend writing if I didn't have to work and go to school because I had all that money...*sigh* Okay, rambling.

_A/N_: This chapter I wrote kinda quickly because it's basically a plot mover alonger. Hopefully it's not too choppy and confusing...but Draco finally makes another appearance! Yey, Draco! We luvs you! *hugs and smewchies* Sorry, tangent. Anyway, hope you enjoy it! Thanks to all who reviewed, you make me feel so special!

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**Chapter 6**

            Ginny didn't dare to open her eyes, afraid of what she might find, or where she might be. She stayed still, trying to determine her surroundings without looking. She was sitting in a chair with her head rested on her arms on some sort of table. She could hear a fire crackling and her clothes no longer felt damp. There was no sound of rain; it seemed eerily silent around her except for the noise of the fire. None of these clues helped her.

            She opened one eye slowly, allowing it to focus before opening the other. She recognized her surroundings immediately...Gryffindor common room. She lifted her head slowly, her eyes darting from side to side to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. She was at the study table by the fire, the same table she was standing in front of before her...journey.

            She looked down at the table's surface and saw the journal still sitting there, exactly where it had been. The Tarot card, however, was gone. Upon quick inspection of the surrounding area, it was determined that the card was, indeed, no longer there. Ginny sighed loudly and slouched in the chair, wondering if it had all just been a bad dream.

            She shook her head. No way it was a dream, she had really been there, really experienced everything. She could still feel the coldness from being soaking wet, the aching in her heart from leaving Damien...

            Ginny closed her eyes, cutting off her train of thought. She refused to think about Damien, it tore at her heart too much. She told herself mentally that it had in fact happened and it wasn't a dream. Lifting her head, she looked around the empty room, wondering if anyone missed her. Something nagged at the back of her mind, but she couldn't bring the thought to the surface. She turned to look back at the journal.

            The journal. Curiously, she flipped it open, wondering whom it belonged to. There was a list of names on the second page that Ginny skimmed through. Her eyes jumped back to the first name on the list. Kiandra. She felt her stomach clench and her heart leap into her throat at the same time.

            Timidly, she reached out a hand and flipped the page, her body suddenly going numb. Her brain couldn't think, she could only lean closer to read the first few entries on the first page.

            The writing was scrawled and misspelled but Ginny could understand enough to get the gist of what was being told. Kiandra wrote about how she wanted to see the future and was developing a spell that would hopefully send her there. The last doubts Ginny may have had about her experience being a dream faded quickly as she read on. The entries described how Kiandra got the idea to make the spell and how she went about gathering ingredients.

            Curious, Ginny flipped through some pages farther ahead. There seemed to be more than just Kiandra's entries. Skimming through some she found that Kiandra's descendents kept the journal going, long after Kiandra passed on. They followed in her footsteps, dabbling in magic here and there, but never accomplishing what their ancestor did. Flipping to the back of the journal she saw there were pictures drawn, sprawling across the pages.

            Upon further inspection, however, she realized they were _not_ pictures, but family trees. Turning to the beginning of the first tree she saw the first name boxed in Kiandra's own scrawled handwriting; Damien Despencer. Even seeing his name caused her heart to skip a beat; she blinked back tears that threatened to blur her vision. Ginny flipped to the beginning of the other family tree; Isabel Despencer. Why would Kiandra want to trace their family history through time?

            The trees were very extensive and seemed thorough. She traced Damien's name with her finger, thinking about the kiss in the rain. Sucking in her breath she began tracing his line, noting the name of his wife and children. When she got to the end, two pages later, she inspected all the names, recognizing none. She let her breath out slowly. What was she expecting? Draco Malfoy's name to be there? What difference would it make anyway?

            Mad at herself for thinking such thoughts, she slammed the book shut. Picking it up she shoved it under her arm and headed back up to her dorm room.

            Ginny crawled into bed after placing the journal into her trunk under some school books. She checked the Muggle watch she had received from Hermione for Christmas the year before. 1:15am, October 20th...ten minutes after she left the dorm room to raid the kitchen. Time hadn't moved here, no one even knew she had been gone.

            Not knowing if that was a relief or not, Ginny sank back into her bed, closing her eyes. But as exhausted as she was, she was no closer to falling asleep then she had been after her dream

            Her dream...that had been ages ago. Well, not in this century, but Ginny had done and felt so many things since that fateful dream, it seemed like a fast fading memory. As she struggled to hold onto it, remember exactly what happened, she fell into a restless sleep, images of Isabel, de Ferrers, and Damien haunting her.

* * * *

            "Ginny! You look horrible!" Leave it to Hermione to give her the truth, no matter how harsh. Ginny managed a wry grin at her friend as she sank down beside her.

            "Thanks, 'Mione, I needed that," Ginny sighed, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands. Hermione frowned, probably realizing it wasn't the nicest thin she had ever said. Ginny waved her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it," Ginny reassured her. "I know I look awful. I didn't sleep much last night," Ginny forced another grin.

            "What's that, Gin?" Ron asked, reaching for the journal Ginny had set on the table before sitting.

            Ginny slid it away from his reaching hands. "None of your business, brother," She raised an eyebrow at him, popping a mini-blueberry muffing in her mouth.

            Ron stared at her a moment before lunging for it. But Ginny, having six older brothers, was ready for him and snatched it away, clutching it to her chest.

            "Nosey much, Ron?" She asked, trying to remain calm. She didn't want to answer a bunch of questions about why she was reading some old journal. She set it on her lap and began helping herself to the scrambled eggs and sausage.

            Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hermione give her a strange look then shrug across the table at the boys. Ginny pretended not to notice, intent on her food. She was relieved when the conversation turned to Quidditch.

            Ginny forced herself to not look at the Slytherin table. She desperately wanted to look at Malfoy to see if he reminded her of Damien but she also didn't want Draco's sneering face to ruin her mental picture.

            She glanced up sharply at Hermione's groan. Ron and Harry were staring at each other intently, a new staring contest begun. "Won't you two give it up?" Hermione pleaded half-heartedly, rolling her eyes.

            Ginny had to giggle. At least things hadn't changed with her friends.

* * * *

            In every free moment Ginny had, she poured over the journal. Especially anything Kiandra wrote. The journal had become a legacy to her family, being passed down to the first-born daughter of her decedents.

            Ginny was getting less and less sleep, staying up late, reading. She would be under her covers with only her wand for light, getting only three to four hours of sleep a night. But she couldn't put it down, it was almost as if it drew her toward it. If she weren't going insane, which she just might be, she could have sworn it called her name when she wasn't reading it.

            The Tarot card had passed from generation to generation also. Most who ended up with it didn't realize what it was, only knew it was part of their family history. Some did wonder why it didn't fade much with time; most didn't give it a second thought.

            Ginny could find no recent entries that gave a clue to who left the journal and card at Hogwarts. She read it back to front, many times, but never recognized a name.

            One night, about midnight, Ginny was leafing through the well-read pages when she realized she never traced Isabel's family tree. Flipping to the back, she began studying it.

            Isabel married a guy with a very French sounding name. Briefly wondering if she had been happy with the marriage, Ginny began tracing her lines. Turning the page quickly she was suddenly filled with anticipation, tracing the lines faster.

            There. In the 1800s, a name she recognized and was not surprised to see. Malfoy. Sucking in her breath, Ginny followed that line to the end of the page. Draco Malfoy was Isabel's descendant. Ginny let her breath out slowly, staring at his name.

            That arrogant prat came from the nice family that she ate dinner with and took her into their home. How dare the Malfoys taint her friend's bloodline? Ginny knew the thought was crazy, but she was upset anyway. As much as she knew it was true that he was from that family, she didn't want it to be. 

She let her head sink until it rested on the open pages. She couldn't think about this now. She should get some sleep. She lifted her head, the pages sticking to her forehead and raising up a bit before falling back. Ginny frowned. One of the pages seemed double thick.

Flipping to the page that held Draco's name she inspected it closer. She always figured it was just the last page but looking harder she realized that it was two pages stuck together, meaning there was something she hadn't read.

Excitedly, she slipped her fingernail in between the pages and tried to pry them apart. No luck. Thinking swiftly she remembered an unsticking charm from her lessons. "_Absque alius_," She muttered quietly, hoping she was pronouncing it correctly.

The pages fell open magically, as if they had never been together. Getting excited, she saw it was Kiandra's handwriting. She began reading, wondering how she ever missed the pages before.

She covered her mouth to muffle the gasp that escaped her lips. She reread the words, hardly believing them.

_I tryed the spell agin, after Jiny left. I did not get all I wanted frome her, so I changed some words of the incantation to send myself into the future to look for her.  I chose a new carde, The Moon, another carde that concerns mystical journyes. Alas, it still has not sent me into the future. So, I will hide it. Maybe in the future Jiny will finde it and come back to me. I have so many unanswered questions I wish to ask her._

So there was another port key. Would it still work if she found it? Her heart longed to go back, she never got to say her goodbyes to Isabel and...Damien. The temptation was overwhelming; especially after knowing that going back didn't effect present time.

Feeling giddy, Ginny looked at the other page and continued reading.

_There was a loose bricke I found in the walls of the much unused dungeons of the castle. When going down the stairs, the third door on the left, there was a grate, high ceiling room. On the wall to the right of the door, about hafway up is my loose bricke. I marked it with a five-point star, invisible until the incantation 'Monstrare' is said. There lays my card. There lays the key to the past. Jiny, I wish for you to finde it._

The third door on the left...the Potions classroom was the first on the left, the Slytherin common room was farther down. She wondered if that was the room the journal was describing. She wondered if the card was still there.

Closing the book, Ginny whispered, "_Nox_," turning her wand light off, and rolled onto her back. Tomorrow she was going to find out just which room was the third door on the left.

* * * *

            Stepping down the stairs lightly, she prayed silently that everyone was in the Great Hall so she wouldn't be discovered. She snuck past the Potions Classroom's door, silently counting off one in her head. Tiptoeing down the dank hallway she wrinkled her nose as the musty smell got worse rather than better.

            The second door looked like it belonged to a closet. She still hadn't come across the common room. What was she going to do if the third door was the Slytherin common room? She hadn't thought that far ahead. She continued down the hall.

            Voices behind her caused her to jog faster. She saw a large portrait, similar to the one that covered the entrance to Gryffindor. The voices were getting closer, however, so she ran past it and slid around the corner, leaning her back against the wall. She held her breath as she listened to the two giggling girls approach the portrait.

            "Did you see the look on that first year's face? Detention was totally worth it," one girl's voice said. The other girl giggled in response. "Veritaserum,"

            Ginny heard the portrait swing open and the girls' voices faded. Ginny waited a moment, to be sure they were gone, before peeking around the corner. The hall was deserted. She walked slowly back toward the portrait, ready to bolt if any more Slytherins showed themselves.

            It was definitely not a pleasant portrait. A very stiff looking man that reminded Ginny a lot of Snape, stood with one hand on a table and one on his hip. He was scowling at the opposite wall, his expression angry. _Veritaserum_, she thought, remembering the password the girl had said.

            "What are _you_ looking at, Red?" The painting had turned its scowl on her.

            "N-nothing," Ginny stammered, hurrying back down the hallway in the direction she came. Her mind was already racing, however. Somehow, she had to find a way to sneak down to the dungeons and find that card. She was going back tonight.

* * * *

            The Gryffindor common room was finally dying down. Ginny sat, watching Harry and Ron play Wizard's Chess. But she wasn't really watching, she was waiting for them to finish up and go to bed so she could sneak out. She tried to appear interested but she was getting impatient. Her foot began tapping quickly on the floor.

            "Ginny, stop that, I'm concentrating," Ron grumbled, still staring at his pieces.

            "Oh, please, Ron. You're going to win, Harry only has two left!" Ginny rolled her eyes, but she shot a sympathetic look at Harry. Wizard's Chess was just not his game.

            Ron frowned at her but she was right. "Fine, Harry, you ready to quit?"

            Harry nodded, stifling a yawn. "Yea, it's pretty late, Ron and we have Transfiguration first thing,"

            It was Ron's turn to roll his eyes but he began picking up his game. "That counts you know. I did win. So we're even score." Ron insisted. Harry nodded, already heading upstairs. "What about you, sis? Bedtime?" Ron inquired.

            Ginny pretended to yawn and nodded. "Yep, I just have to go grab my bag," She pointed to it over by the common room exit. Ron nodded and headed upstairs, leaving Ginny alone in the room.

            Quickly stripping off her robes, she stuffed them into her bag and hid it behind a chair. Trying to make as little noise as possible, Ginny slipped from the common room portrait hole and ran as fast as she could toward the dungeons. If she got caught she would have detention for a month, not to mention the questions that would follow. She shuddered at the thought and continued on to the Slytherin common room.

            By some miracle, she made it to the entrance without running into a single person. Everyone must be asleep by now, she thought confidently, approaching the portrait. "Veritaserum," She whispered, barely audible.

            The man snarled angrily at her. "What's that, Red?" He boomed. "Speak up,"

            Ginny winced but said louder, "Veritaserum,"

            Grumbling loudly, the portrait swung forward, revealing the common room. Ginny crawled in, narrowly escaping the fast closing picture. Frowning over her shoulder at the back of the painting, she stood up, brushing herself off. Glancing around the room she was pleased to see no one was up and about; at least things were going her way.

            The room was rather tall for a dungeon, which was the first thing she noticed. High vaulted ceilings with crisscrossed rafters above, green and silver banners hanging from them, a large expanse of a fireplace on the opposite wall, and black leather furniture adorned the room around her. A fleeting feeling of jealousy flit through her; it looked much more expensive than the Gryffindor common room. But Gryffindor was more cozy and comfortable, she reminded herself, and the jealous feeling diminished.

            Turning to her right Ginny saw a great deal of wall. It was the only wall without a painting or banner or fireplace. Now, she only had to find that brick.

            "Easier said than done," She mumbled to herself, walking over to midway along the wall. She looked closely, trying to see if any looked loose, but they all looked the same to her. Sighing loudly she pulled out her wand and began tapping bricks, saying the incantation. _This is going to last all night_, she thought, a feeling of hopelessness rising in her stomach.

            After an hour or so, she began to get nervous. What if someone woke up and came downstairs for a midnight snack? How was she going to explain her self in the midst of the Slytherin common room? Frowning at the thought, she decided she'd try one more row then she'd have to risk coming back tomorrow. She was going back to the 15th century, no matter what.

            Ginny was going so fast she almost missed it. On the third brick she tapped, a small pentagram appeared. She was two more bricks down before she realized she found it. Turning her head back sharply she stared, transfixed. That was it...this was it. Slowly she reached forward and tried the brick to see if it was still loose. To her amazement, it still was.

            Sliding the brick out slowly, she set it on the ground and peered into the hole it made. It was dark but she could faintly make out the card sitting there, waiting for her. She stared at it, unable to move. Ginny was itching to go back, yet she hesitated.

            "Defacing school property in another common room, Weasley?" An obnoxious, drawling voice behind her distracted her attention from the card. Draco Malfoy was standing at the bottom of the stairway that lead to the dorms. He was dressed in his pajamas, navy blue with flying golden snitches, and his hair was mussed up from sleeping. Even his expression didn't seem as sharp as normal, but his wit was obviously right on cue. Ginny would have found his appearance funny, had he not caught her in her act. "I would have thought you had more sense than that," He began walking toward her at a slow, even pace.

            Unconsciously, Ginny took a step back away from him, but she ran into the wall. By Merlin, he looked exactly like Damien had, right down to the eye color. Ginny felt her knees get weak as she blinked as his fast approaching face. Draco hid his emotions however; she couldn't tell what he was thinking. Damien had been the opposite.

            "Go back to bed, Malfoy, I'll be gone in a minute," She said quietly, wishing he would follow her directions. She knew he wouldn't.

            He laughed, stopping right next to her. "You're in _my_ common room, Weasley. I don't think you're the one that should be giving orders at the moment." He tilted his head to the side, regarding her. "Let's see, sneaking out after bed time, stealing the password, breaking into another house's common room," He began listing her broken rules off on his fingers, "And ordering me around. I'd say you're looking at detention for a good three months solid. Not to mention the house points that will be lost." He began tsking, shaking his head, smirk firmly in place.

            "Malfoy, I don't need your snarky comments right now," Ginny hissed, trying to keep her temper. If she wanted Malfoy to leave, she was going to have to control her urge to slap him upside his head. He was ruining her mental image of Damien. "Just please go away,"

            "Aw, now you're begging," Malfoy's smirk only grew. He planted his feet firmly in place, crossing his arms. "What mischief are you up to, Weasley? Turning out be just like those dolt brothers of yours," Draco looked to the side at the hole the brick left when she pulled it out. "What's this?" He asked, starting to reach inside.

            "That's mine!" Ginny hissed, slapping his arm before she thought the motion through. She was surprised when he grabbed her wrist, twisting it to the side. Merlin, he had quick reflexes.

            Draco got in her face, pointing at her with his free hand. "Don't ever, ever, hit me again," he said, tone icy, eyes narrowed.

            Ginny suppressed the urge to be a smart ass and slap him with her free hand. Normally, when Ron or her brothers got in her face, that's what she would have done. But Draco looked serious enough to make her reconsider. "Fine," She spat, backing her head away from his. It was disturbing to be so close to him.

            He let go of her wrist, flinging it down by her side. Looking at her pointedly, he reached for the card again. This time, Ginny lunged in attempt to grab it first. Draco anticipated this and also moved forward quickly to intercept her. 

There was no pause this time, only the sensation of being sucked through a skinny tube. Ginny felt a moment of triumph at beating Malfoy before falling into the depth of blackness.


	7. Chapter 7

Journey of Time

_Disclaimer_: HP not mine, yada, yada, yada...

_A/N_: I tried and tried to think of a way to start the snogging in this chapter but unfortunately it just didn't work into the story line and I don't foresee any in the next chapter (although I could be wrong, stories sometimes have a mind of their own). Soooo, I wrote a fluffy little short story, T-R-O-U-B-L-E, just for you devoted people that have been faithfully reviewing and reading Journey. Special thanks to all of you!

**Chapter 7**

            Ginny wasn't out long. She felt herself lying in grass and she could hear birds chirping nearby. She made it. She tried to move before opening her eyes and panicked; she couldn't move.

            Her eyes flew open to find someone was lying on top of her. Not just someone; Draco Malfoy.

            "Gitoff, Malfoy," Ginny complained, trying to push him away. Unfortunately, he was much bigger than her and her attempts to remove him were futile.

            She saw him lean up on his elbows and shake his head to clear it. His eyes were unfocused for a moment, his expression disoriented. Ginny gave his chest another ineffective shove.

            Malfoy's eyes focused on her and he gave her a slow, lazy smile. "I'm rather comfortable, Weasley. I don't think I will,"

            Ginny glared up at his cocky smile, his head back dropped with the dazzling blue sky. She wanted to get away from him, away from here, and find Damien. Let Malfoy fend for himself, it was his own stupid fault he was here.

            "Malfoy," She seethed. "I'm warning you-"  
            He arched an eyebrow, cutting her off. "You're what?" he asked, pressing his body down on hers and bringing his face closer, causing her to turn her head away. She _was_ at a severe disadvantage. "Warning _me_?" He continued. "I don't think you're in a position to be making threats, little girl," He drawled, his breath hot on her ear.

            "If we stay here, we're both in danger," Ginny told him quietly, but forcefully, hoping to reason with him. Her head was still sideways; she was staring at the forest line that was not far away. She plainly remembered all the dangers that forest held.

            She could feel his eyes boring into the side of her head. The two of them seemed to lay there, silent, for an eternity.

            Finally, he rolled off her onto his side. Ginny used this to her advantage, before he changed his mind, and rocked to her feet to stand up, brushing herself off. Malfoy still lay sideways on the ground, propping himself up on an elbow. She refused to look at him, even though she knew he was watching her.

            "You knew it was a port key." Statement, not a question. Ginny only nodded. "You know where we are." Also not a question. Ginny nodded again, a bit more hesitantly.

            She had begun surveying their surroundings. The castle was still to the East but everything seemed...different.

            _Of course it's different_, she thought grumpily, _Malfoy's here_. He must have grabbed the card the same instant she had, that's why he was here too.

            Malfoy finally stood up but didn't bother brushing himself off. His messed up hair was partially hanging in his eyes and, had he been anyone else, Ginny would have thought he looked rather sexy in his snitch pajamas. Except maybe that sneer...no, that was sexy too.

            _Focus!_ Ginny shook her head, tearing her eyes from Malfoy. "We have to get to the castle," She pointed eastward.

            "Not so fast, little weasel." Malfoy grabbed her arm as she turned to go. Ginny whipped her head around, trying to keep the anger from her face. She jerked her arm from his hand, startling him.

            "Don't touch me," She said simply, voice devoid of anger, or any other emotion for that matter. Surprisingly, he nodded curtly.

            "Where are we?" Now it was a question.

            Ginny sighed automatically, knowing he wouldn't believe her if she told him they were in the past. He'd have to see it for himself. "Hogwarts," She informed him, pointing, again, at the castle.

            "You're avoiding my question."

            "No, we need to get to the castle. You'll understand there,"

            "I don't trust you," He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. Merlin, he could do that well. When Ginny tried to raise an eyebrow she usually ended up raising both.

            _Ginny, you're staring_, her mind snapped her back to reality. "Join the club," she replied sarcastically, thinking about how Damien had told her that same thing repeatedly. At his unmoved expression she shrugged. "Fine, Malfoy, stay here and get your self killed for all I care," Ginny threw her hands up and began walking away. She heard Malfoy following her. Turning sharply, she eyed him wearily. "I thought you didn't trust me,"

            He continued walking past her. "Right, but I didn't say I was stupid," he called over his shoulder. "I leave that to the Gryffindors,"

            With a noise of frustration, Ginny chased after him, trying to catch up.

* * * *

            They walked in silence, which was fine for Ginny who trailed behind Malfoy who insisted on leading. She wanted to be able to hear everything around them in case bandits or riders were going to ambush them. In a way, it was comforting to have Malfoy with her; at least he was a guy who could protect her. She narrowed her eyes at that thought. Would he protect her? He was, after all, Malfoy. He'd probably run away screaming like a girl. That mental picture brought a smile to her lips.

            The forest, however, was peaceful and their excursion to the road was uneventful. It was almost pleasant, with the birds chirping the breeze barely blowing. Ginny was relieved to reach the road, however; it meant their journey was nearly complete. She studied the road, thinking it looked different somehow then she remembered it.

            "What is this?" Malfoy finally spoke. He was glaring at the road as if it offended him.

            "A road," Ginny said, looking at him as if he lost his mind.

            He cocked his head to the side, giving her his best sneer. "Really, Weasley, did you figure that all out by yourself?" He turned back to look at the road. "What I meant was," He continued before she could make a come back. "Why is there a road here? There's nothing like this around Hogwarts."

            Ginny took a deep breath, her face tinged red at his words earlier. "Malfoy, would you for once shut up and get a move on? I want to reach the castle before dark."

            He frowned at her with a barely veiled look of surprise. True, she had never spoke to him in such a way, or anyone else for that matter, but she was in a hurry and did not want to dwell on his expression. She began walking down the road, past him. He had no choice but to follow. He asked no more questions.

* * * *

            They did reach the castle before dark. Ginny quickened her pace in anticipation of seeing her friends again, forgetting for a moment that Malfoy was trailing not far behind. A hand clamped on her shoulder reminding her a moment later.

            She turned her head to the look at the hand, which was promptly removed. Ginny met Malfoy's eyes questioningly. "It's different," He was talking about the castle. 

Ginny nodded. "I know," She replied. "You'll find out why,"

"I already said I don't trust you, Weasley," He cut her off, glaring past her at the castle before them.

Ginny grit her teeth in effort not to punch his lights out. "Look, I told you before you didn't have to follow me. There's nothing dangerous up there. I know what I'm doing, so either be quiet and follow me or go away," she tried to keep her voice even but she could still hear the anger in it. He was getting on her last nerve.

Not waiting for his answer she spun on her heel and began running toward the front door, leaving him to make his own decision. She slowed when she got within a few feet, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. No guards. She glanced around, wondering if she missed them or if they were patrolling nearby. Nope, nobody was around.

A sinking feeling in her stomach set in. Damien had to have survived his wound; he wouldn't have a family tree in Kiandra's journal if he hadn't. But the tree hadn't told her anything about where he lived or if de Ferrers' men had won the battle she disappeared in the middle of. What if the Despencers were no longer here?

Ginny stood in front of the closed door, staring at it. She was attempting to take deep breaths and calm her wild imagination. De Ferrers' men could have been defeated and now there was no reason for guards. She liked that thought better so she hung onto it.

"Why are you staring at the door?" Malfoy's voice behind her brought her crashing back to reality. She didn't turn.

"There used to be guards here," Ginny said aloud, knowing it would make no sense to him. "I guess I should knock," She stepped forward and grabbed the large brass ring that served as a knocker. She was about to knock when she heard giggling voices off to the left of the castle. She paused, listening intently for the sound again. "Isabel!" Ginny grinned, turning and pushing past Malfoy who was blocking her way.

Ginny jogged toward the sound, her smile growing. It sounded as if the whole family was just around the corner in the gardens. She didn't even turn to see if Malfoy was with her.

She was about to turn the corner when someone came around first. A little someone. A little girl, no more than four, came running full tilt around the corner and slammed into Ginny's leg. Ginny had to lean down and catch the girl before she fell over. Ginny's brow creased as she stared at the little one's laughing face. Familiar gray eyes...

Her thoughts were cut off by the appearance of another giggling person, this time an older boy, closer to seven. "Anne!" he called, just before turning the corner. He stopped and gaped at Ginny who was now squatting by the little girl. "What are you doing?" He cried, taking a step toward them, reaching for the little girl. Ginny barely had time to notice that he had similar gray eyes and strawberry blond hair before he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Daaaaaaaad!"

Ginny blinked, standing up, unsure how to react. There hadn't been young kids here before; this was strange. Feeling disoriented, she stumbled backward a step to be steadied by Malfoy. Once again, she had forgotten he was there. His hand quickly left her elbow when she had her balance.

The young boy had grabbed the laughing little girl and was pulling her away from Ginny and Malfoy while calling for his dad. Ginny heard the sound of pounding footsteps running toward them. She watched the corner of the wall, holding her breath, waiting.

A man came around the corner, concerned expression on his face. He looked from Ginny to his son then did a double take back to Ginny. She forgot to breathe. It was Damien. Not the Damien she knew from a week ago, but a grown up, thirty-year-old Damien, staring at her as if he didn't believe his eyes. Ginny didn't want to believe hers.

"Ginny?" Damien's voice hadn't changed.

She nodded, feeling her whole body going numb. Her thought process seemed choppy and she knew she couldn't fully process what was happening. Bright spots started appearing before her eyes. _Breathe_, her head reminded her. Ginny exhaled slowly, feeling the urge to vomit subside. She still couldn't tear her eyes away from Damien.

He wasn't looking at her now; he seemed to be looking over her shoulder. Ginny frowned wondering what he was looking at. She turned and almost slapped herself in the forehead. Duh, Draco Malfoy was behind her. The mirror image of Damien at seventeen. Malfoy was sizing up the older version of himself with mere curiosity. Could nothing upset this boy's demeanor?

Ginny turned back to Damien. "Uh, he's a...friend. He came back with me by mistake. I, um..." She trailed off, not knowing how to continue. _I came back to say goodbye?_ There was more to it than that and she knew it. 

But what had she expected? To come back and have Damien fall at her feet? To get married and live happily ever after in the 15th century?

She was saved however because at that moment another two people appeared from around the corner. "Dear, what is going on?" A woman with long fiery hair carrying a small boy came around the corner. 

Ginny tried to hide her gasp but it escaped anyway. Remembering the name from Kiadra's family tree, Ginny whispered to herself, "Eleanor," Ginny thought that she could be looking at herself in a mirror in ten years.

Eleanor Despencer stared at the two newcomers with a pleasant smile. The seven year old was hiding behind her skirt while the young girl was begging for Damien to pick her up. He did, without taking his eyes off Ginny.

"Hullo," Eleanor greeted them. Ginny and Malfoy remained silent, causing Eleanor to frown.

"Ella, take the kids inside and tell the cook to prepare two more plates. We have company tonight," Damien finally turned away from them to look at his wife. She nodded and set the boy in her arms down to take Anne. The four of them left around the corner leaving Damien alone with Ginny and Malfoy.

Damien smiled but Ginny could tell it was forced. Disappointment washed over her as she realized that her coming here was upsetting his life. She looked at the ground, suddenly unable to meet his eyes.

"How?" He asked what she was sure was the most pressing question in his mind.

"That's what I'd like to know," Malfoy added from behind her. Ginny decided to ignore him.

Without looking up she responded, "Kiandra made another card, like the one she told me about," she paused, now looking at Damien to see if he knew what she meant. He nodded quickly, indicating he did. Ginny gave a quick explanation of the journal and what was inside it, leaving out the family tree details. "I realized I never got to say goodbye since I didn't know the spell was ending..." She trailed off, unsure of what else to say to explain herself.

Malfoy made a noise of disgust. "So where are we?" He asked, looking from Damien to Ginny.

"Hogwarts..." Ginny replied quietly. "Just a different year,"

"The year of our Lord, 1460, to be exact," Damien offered. "It's been ten years, Ginny. Ten years."

Ginny blinked back the tears that were threatening. "I didn't know that," She stopped herself because she was starting to sound whiney.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold up." Malfoy put his hands in the shape of a T. "Time out, one minute. We're in the year 1460? And it's been ten years since what, exactly?" He glared from Ginny to Damien.

Damien frowned. "You didn't tell him before the two of you came back?"

Ginny sighed in frustration. "No, he wasn't supposed to come back, he just grabbed the card the same time I did. No one knows about the first time,"

Malfoy looked at her intently. "The first time?" he asked, starting to sound incredulous. "There was a first time? You've traveled in time before?" He was also starting to sound very condescending.

"Stuff it, Malfoy, I don't need any grief from you," Ginny was starting to lose her temper. First she was in the wrong time now she had Malfoy all over her case.

"You two are friends?" Damien looked rather amused. Ginny only continued to glare at Malfoy who glared right back. "I see. Well, _Malfoy_, you and Ginny are welcome to stay in my home as long as you need. As much as it may not appear so, I _am_ happy to see you again, Ginny. I missed you." His eyes looked sad as he turned them on her again. "Come, let's go in. Dinner should be ready soon."

Having little other choice, Ginny and Malfoy followed Damien into the castle. Inwardly, Ginny felt herself falling to pieces. Not only was Draco Malfoy with her, she ended up in the wrong time. She struggled to remember when she thought everything about coming back seemed to be going her way. That was a distant, fading thought. Now, it seemed, this trip was destined to be doomed.

And just how did they plan on getting back?

_A/N_: Okay, I know it's rather short, sorry, but I'm busily working on the next one, it should be up soon. Please take a moment to review, it lights up my day!


	8. Chapter 8

**Journey of Time**

_Disclaimer_: I own not HP or anything associated with HP that's not of my own creation. Some characters are mine, all mine, muwahahaha…er, um, and yes the plot is mine, out of my head. So no suing, not that you'd get much from me anyway…

_A/N_: AHHHH! It's been forever and a day since I updated this story. My Journey!Muse had left me in the dust and I had other inspirations but I _do_ want to finish this one. The plot's all there but every time I'd start chapter 8 my Muse would laugh at me, stick out his tongue, pull down his kilt and moon me, a la Braveheart. So I decided to change my approach. And vola! A chapter that moves the plot along nicely I think. So enough of my yip yapping, go ahead and read! And I apologize for the time it took to get it out, but Muses are fickle…and sometimes mean…*rubs spot on head that Journey!Muse just whacked*

Chapter 8

            The wind whispered through the trees, cutting into the calm silence that enveloped the hilltop. The sun sank low in the horizon, touching every blade of grass with a faint golden glow. The sky turned colors; the lake reflected the blues, rose, orange and yellow of the sunset. It was breathtaking, a scene unmarred by modern man. Ginny was too distracted by her thoughts to appreciate it.

            The soft rustle of footsteps behind her alerted her attention but she did not turn. Her arms were wrapped around her knees, her gaze faded off toward the horizon. Yet she was not so lost in thought that she failed to recognize she was no longer alone.

            Whoever was behind her remained silent for several unending moments. Still, Ginny did not turn. Her mind was running over all the reasons it was wrong for her to be here and how hopeless the situation seemed in getting back to normal time. Three days had passed and there was still no sign of the spell ending.

            "Come inside, Ginny. Night will be upon us soon and the fields grow cold without the sun."

            Ginny closed her eyes, fighting back the threatening tears. Damien. He was only looking out for her but his voice tore through her heart like a knife. He was the reason she came back, yet she couldn't have him now. Fate had sent her to her own personal Hell.

            _No, **Kiandra** had, with her bleeding Tarot cards_, Ginny thought bitterly. Holding onto that resentment to dam the tears she looked up over her shoulder at him.

            Damien was watching the tail end of the sunset. His hands rested lightly on his hips, his silver-blond hair catching the last remnants of the golden rays, giving him an almost angelic halo. Remembering the feel of his lips on hers she had to turn away, the memory sending a searing pain through her head. The journey was for naught; she couldn't be with Damien now.

            "A few more minutes, Damien." She heard herself reply quietly, her voice hollow in her own ears. The past few days she hadn't seen much of him, his family or Malfoy, preferring to stay in her room and pout.

            Ginny heard his movement beside her as he sat close to her. Neither spoke, letting the silence draw out. "You are unhappy." It wasn't a question or a statement. It seemed to be more of a prompt to get her talking.

            Taking a deep breath, Ginny kept her eyes on the lake as she spoke. "It just…" She wracked her brain for words to describe what she was feeling. Shrugging helplessly, she half laughed, half sighed. "Everything is different than I expected. I wonder if it was the right thing to do. Coming back."

            Realizing she revealed more than she originally intended with those few words, she snuck a side-ways glance at him. He was watching her so intently she couldn't tear her eyes away from his. Unlike Malfoy, Damien's eyes revealed much of what he was thinking; his internal struggle showed blatantly on his face.

            "Ginny," Damien began, faltered, then started again. "Ginny, I did not expect you to come back." His voice was quiet yet strained as he tired to keep emotion from his words. "Had I known," here he faltered again, shrugging. "Things could possibly be different. But they are not. I am happy with Eleanor. My life is good." He paused, searching her face with his eyes. She had a light smile; glad that he was happy and knowing that was all that should matter to her. But that selfish part of her still cried out, 'unfair'! It prevented her from totally accepting his words. He continued a little more brightly, encouraged by her smile. "I am glad you are back, however. I've thought of you often. Sometimes…" He trailed off, letting his gaze travel back toward the sun, which had all but disappeared in the sky. Ginny decided not to press. He would tell her if he wanted to.

            After a few minute, silent pause, Damien did look back at her, his expression curious. "You have not seen much of Draco these past few days. You two are not close?" A smile was playing on the edges of his mouth but he did not dare grin until he found out her stance on the boy.

            Ginny wrinkled her nose and glared at nothing in particular. "Yea, that's been the highlight of the trip, not having to be close to him." She replied. Going over his words in her head she looked back to him sharply, her head inclined in inquiry. "Why?" She asked suspiciously. "Have you been talking to him?" Ginny was suddenly horrified at the thought of Damien being corrupted by Malfoy and his impossible attitude.

            Damien laughed at her expression. He had changed in ten years; he was much more ready to laugh and a lot less scrutinizing and suspicious of strangers. The Damien she knew would not have let his amusement show quite so much. She appreciated how he looked when he was happy. It softened his sharper features and made her want to laugh along with him. However, she only smiled.

            "Yes, Draco and I have talked a lot these past few days." Ginny felt her eyes widen but she kept her mouth shut. A deep sense of foreboding crept into her stomach. Malfoy could not be up to any good. She hoped Damien could see through any scheme that Malfoy was concocting. "He is an interesting young man. I am surprised you two do not get along better."

            Ginny made another face. "He's horrible, Damien. Don't let him fool you. He could probably charm a lion out of its fur but he's all evil. He's done nothing but torment me and my family for the past seven years,"

            Damien chuckled again. "He is very sly, that much is apparent and I can tell. But to tell the truth, he's very polite and seems to be just curious. He was asking me about this century and what I knew about how you two came back here. Unfortunately, I did not have much information for him. But he did perk up when I showed him the Practice room. He is very interested in swords. He told me his father taught him much about fencing. He did not seem to like his father much, however." Damien frowned at this thought, contemplating whatever it was Draco might have said to him. "Have you talked to him about this torment? Maybe he doesn't realize-"

            "Oh no, Damien DeSpencer!" Ginny stood, crushing her fists on her hips and glaring down at him in semi-anger. "Do not defend Malfoy, especially not to me. You're falling under his 'woe is me' spell. He has everything in the world he could possibly want and he knows very much how little we appreciate being tormented."

            Damien stood as well, his tall frame towering over her smaller one. He was close, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheeks. "I think," he spoke quietly, barely above a whisper. "That you have already made up your mind about him without knowing him. He is a much different person than you think, Ginny. Maybe he does not have 'everything'. And maybe, he is not your enemy." Raising an eyebrow during the last of his words, he watched her face turn from anger to confusion and finally to contemplation. Turning on his heel, he left her on the hill, alone. Ginny watched his retreating back fade into the shadows and mist that was quickly rising from the cooling earth.

            Shaking her head to free herself from the thoughts rising up, she narrowed her eyes, turning her face to the sky. What did he know of Malfoy anyway? He'd only known him for three days. Ginny had known him for six years. Or had she? When was the last time she'd had a real conversation with him? Never. Not that he gave much of an opportunity, always sneering and teasing when any Gryffindor was close by. No, Malfoy was indeed a prejudice bastard, just like she had always thought. And not even Damien Despencer would be able to change her mind about him.

* * * *

            Ginny was awoken the next morning by loud shouts and laughter. Rubbing her eyes she saw the dress hanging by the fireplace and the steaming was basin by the window, just as it had been every morning since she'd come back. Getting ready in a rush, she slipped out of her room and heading the direction all the noise seemed to be coming from. She was rushing so fast that she practically passed by the room, stopping herself and backtracking, peering around the doorframe.

            It was the Practice room, the room she first saw Damien and his father practicing their sword play with Isabel. Now, Damien had a new partner. Ginny practically choked on air as she realized Damien was sparring with none other than Draco Malfoy. Eleanor and the children were in a corner, watching the two men with rapt enthusiasm. The laughter and cheers were coming from them.

            Ginny let her eyes trail from the family to the two men. The clang of metal against metal was loud in here and so rapid it made almost one continuous sound. Damien was smiling, his eye alight with physical exertion. Malfoy's face was one of concentration but enjoyment, as though he were having the time of his life. Ginny scrutinized him closer, amazed at what a difference there was in him from the last time she saw him four days ago. He seemed much less tense and rigid, an almost relaxed set to his shoulders and face. His quick movements were unmatched by any she had seen before, even Harry's lightening Seeker reflexes couldn't compare. His concentration was unparalleled, as if he wanted to do well in this playful fight to prove something to someone. She wondered briefly what was going on behind those intense, sliver eyes.

            The likeness between the two men was astounding, even from a distance. Damien's hair was longer, pulled back into a low ponytail; but still wisps of his baby-fine hair fell loose and into his eyes, similar to Malfoy's shorter hair that he couldn't keep from his forehead. Mercury silver eyes met mercury silver eyes, both with just a hint of blue that gave them infinite depth. Their builds were similar; though Malfoy was much more thin where Damien had more muscle that came with maturity. They could just as easily be father and son, or brothers, rather than great- great- great-, etc. Uncle and Nephew.

            The glint of metal continued as the early morning sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows, catching hints of purples and reds to flash from the blades as they attacked each other with fury. Finally, Damien made a bold move, disarming Malfoy and pushing the blunted tip toward the younger man's chest. Ginny thought for sure that Malfoy would be angry, yell, or lash out at Damien. Being defeated was one thing Ginny knew Malfoys did not take to lightly.

            To her surprise he merely paused, looking over at his fallen sword and back to Damien. "I nearly had you." His expression was one of amusement, the tone of his voice light with good-natured banter. Damien answered with a laugh, withdrew his sword and held out his hand. Draco immediately took it and they shook firmly.

            "Good show, Draco. You are getting better." Damien conceded with a small nod. "But you never 'had' me." He chuckled and Draco joined in.

            Ginny gaped openly at the exchange. Draco was _laughing_ about his loss and allowing Damien to contradict him. Remembering the ends of many Quidditch games when Draco stormed from the field after being beaten by Gryffindor and the tantrums he threw when someone tried to cheer him up, Ginny was in shock at this nonchalant, carefree attitude. It was then she realized Draco was staring back at her. Trying to regain some semblance of composure, she stepped into the room fully and put on the most pleasant smile she could muster.

            Damien's children were surrounding him, congratulating him on his victory. The eldest was trying to get Draco's attention but he wouldn't take his eyes from Ginny's. Damien followed his gaze and smiled brightly at Ginny. "Good morning," He greeted with a half bow.

            The children grew silent and looked at Ginny apprehensively. She was sure they didn't know what to make of her, she hadn't been around much in the past few days. Odd how they were comfortable around Draco; he must have been more active than she in the past few days. Eleanor approached, picking up Anne and ushering the boys toward the door. She smiled uncertainly at Ginny as she walked past, most likely suspicious that Ginny was going to try and lure her husband away. Ginny stood perfectly still, not sure exactly what she should do. She could still feel Draco's eyes burning into her but she refused to look at him again. The way he was now unbalanced her, caught her off guard and made thoughts tug on the edges of her mind. She didn't want to fully form those thoughts; they scared her.

            Damien began cleaning up, rescuing Draco's fallen sword and putting it near his own on the long wooden table by the door. "I need someone to check on the horses in the stable. Bandits were seen on the road a few days ago and I want to make sure everything is locked up tight. My stable boy is in town on errands, do you think you two could be of assistance?" Damien asked politely, not hiding his alterative motive very well.

            Ginny opened her mouth to protest when Draco's voice from behind her cut her off. "Certainly," he responded, gently taking Ginny's upper arm. "We will report back immediately." He nodded toward Damien before leading Ginny from the Practice room.

            Once they were outside the castle doors, Ginny jerked her arm from his grasp. "What are you up to, Draco?" She asked, her voice less severe than she wanted. She felt herself starting to believe Damien's words and her hatred loosening against her will. He let her go without resistance.

            "I'm going to help Damien out. I thought you'd like to as well, as he was the reason you came back here." Draco walked past her toward the stables, the wind picking up his hair and swirling it around his head. Ginny felt a few loose curls of her own blow across her cheek but she didn't stop to fix them, plowing ahead to catch up with him.

            "Why are you acting this way?" She finally caught up with him, falling in step beside him. She had to take two steps for each of his long strides but she was used to it by now.

            "Whatever are you talking about?" Draco replied, not looking at her. Unconsciously he slowed his pace to help her keep up with him. She tried to read his face but he kept it blank, giving away nothing.

            "Don't play ignorant with me, Malfoy. I know you all too well," She could feel the anger swirl up from inside her. It was ready to be unleashed, though it wasn't all about him. She knew that most of the anger was at herself for wanting so badly to come back and having the situation turn out so horribly. But Draco was in the way, in the middle of the path of her fury, and was about to get it full force.

            "Do you now, _Weasley_? And just what do you know about me?" Draco stopped walking and faced her, ready for her attacks. He cocked his head to the side waiting for her answer. His silver eyes flashed with impatience when she didn't answer right away. "Exactly. You know what your brother tells you. Your brother is an infuriating git who likes to get on my nerves, as well as his attention seeking best friend, Potter. I find most people in Gryffindor to be extremely irritating and loathsome, simply because they suck up to Professors and they fail to show spine, though they claim to be brave. Slytherins are pigeon-holed into being ruthless, mean-spirited and evil despite the fact that we _can_ think for ourselves and have opinions that differ from our parents." Taking a deep breath, the rage that gleamed from his eyes lessened. Looking out toward the stables where the sun was rising, his eyes seemed to study the baby blue sky before he turned back to her. He contemplated her face, her silence, her expression, before continuing in a much softer tone.

            "When's the last time you had a conversation with me, Ginny? With any Slytherin?" Draco asked, dead serious. Ginny had asked herself that very question last night.

            "Never," She breathed, frowning slightly. Why did he have to have a valid point? She wanted with all her heart to hate him as she always had, hate his sneering, conniving, smug self but now, as she looked up at him, she realized that she never really knew him. He was completely right in everything he said.

            "I'm not saying I'm a good person." Draco continued, suddenly unable to meet her eye. He looked over her head toward the castle behind her, suddenly finding it more fascinating than anything else in his line of vision. "I've done and said horrible things. I still do, from time to time. There's bitterness inside of me. Hatefulness. And sometimes I think it's better if I don't allow myself to get close to anyone…" His voice trailed off as his thoughts consumed him. Was that a hint of pink tinged on his cheeks? Was Draco _blushing_? _It could be the cool breeze_, she corrected herself mentally but there was a nagging voice telling her that he was revealing more to her than he'd ever revealed to anyone. But why?

            He finally looked back down at her, his cool gaze meeting hers. His mask was back in place, revealing nothing. "We should check on the horses." His voice was smooth as silk and cool as steel. Whatever he'd been confessing was gone. He turned and continued on his way toward the stable, not looking back to see if she was coming along. Ginny watched his retreating back a moment, her thoughts in a sudden tornado. Draco Malfoy not all that bad? Was she insane to think this? She felt sympathy creep in but she knew that he would despise any sort of pity being felt for him. Deciding now was not the time to contemplate the essence of Draco Malfoy she hurried to catch up with him.

* * * *

            Ginny was growing worried. A week had passed, yet still she and Draco were still in the past. As much as she loved being around Damien and had warmed to Eleanor and the children, she was anxious to get back to her friends and family. Yet she still didn't know how to break the spell and there was no sign of Kiandra or any gypsies in the area. Damien sent scouts to search but so far they had returned nothing.

            Draco was actually beginning to grow on her. He was still an obstinate prat most of the time but she learned to deal with his faults and enjoy his wry sense of humor and discover he had a personality of more than a newt. He spent most of his time practicing swordplay with Damien, or shooting with bow and arrows as Damien taught him. Damien also began to take him and his eldest son hunting in the woods beyond the lake. Draco seemed to look up to Damien and almost…cling to him, as much as a Malfoy could cling to another human. Which wasn't much.

            Ginny sat in the garden on a bench, pondering as she did everyday about how to get back home. She had no new thoughts, no new theories. Trying to recall exactly when she left back to her own century the first time, she was so swept up in images she didn't notice she was no longer alone until someone sat next to her, very close.

            "It's raining," His breath was warm on her ear, his voice sending little shivers down her spine; from surprise or something else, she wasn't sure. Ginny hadn't noticed it was raining before, but Draco was indeed right; a slight drizzle was falling, and she was already quite damp.

            "Oh," She attempted to move away from him but the bench was too small to move more than an inch. His closeness was making her nervous for some reason she couldn't quite put her thumb on. "I didn't notice." She replied lamely, trying to look at him without meeting his eyes.

            "Obviously." He replied dryly, flinging the cloak he brought out for her around her shoulders. "What's got you so caught up in thought that you didn't even notice you were getting soaked?"

            Ginny debated with herself a moment, wondering if she should worry him. Sighing lightly, she finally met his gaze, surprised by the intensity and emotion she found there. "I'm worried about getting back." She replied simply, trying to keep her expression neutral. Draco nodded, sucking on his top lip as he considered her words.

            "How'd it happen last time?" He echoed her previous thoughts. 

Ginny frowned but kept her eyes on his face. "I don't know. There was a battle and Damien almost died. We told each other-" She cut herself off, suddenly embarrassed. She realized she didn't want to tell Draco exactly what she and Damien had said before she left. She turned her eyes back to the garden. "Uh, stuff, then I faded back to Hogwarts." She ended quickly, shrugging with an exasperated sigh. "I don't know how that helps us now."

In her peripheral vision she could see him still looking at her. They sat in silence, listening to the patter of light rain falling on the leaves and ground around them. "It doesn't," He finally said rather bluntly. "We might have to face the fact that we're stuck here-"

"What?!" Ginny exclaimed, cutting him off. Her eyes bulged with indigence as she rounded on him. "I refuse to believe that! I don't want to be stuck in the fifteenth century. I want to go home and see my family." She exclaimed, instantly upset that he would suggest they had no hope.

He was indifferent to her anger, merely looking at her with passive interest. "Well, I have the opposite problem. I prefer my family here to my family in the future. If I go back," Draco drew out the last word before pausing, studying her eyes. "I'll have to deal with Lucius again. After being here," Draco's eyes flipped toward the castle before meeting hers again. "I don't know that I want that." He finished, his tone even, his face steeled, but his eyes giving away his unhappiness.

Ginny wasn't sure what she was doing or why she was doing. Instinct took over and she raised one hand to his cheek, brushing over the smooth plane with the back of her hand. It was meant to be comforting but in all truthfulness she expected him to pull away. He didn't. He closed his eyes briefly before catching her hand in his. He brought her fingertips to his lips, kissing them gently, more gently than Ginny ever anticipated Draco to be. Rivulets of water were beginning to run from his hair down his face, dripping steadily from his chin. His eyes burned with such intense passion that it scared her for the shortest second before she realized she wanted this. She wanted him. These past few days had changed Draco or merely changed her opinion of him; either way she knew she was falling for him, whether she wanted to or not.

"Draco-" She began but her words were cut off and her breath taken away by his lips meeting hers, first gently, than with more passion and fire, heating both up despite the rain that began falling faster. She felt one hand on her cheek, the other in her hair, pulling her closer to him. The intensity of the kiss left her dizzy, the overwhelming emotion took her breath away. The moment seemed to last forever, the two of them suspended in time, drinking in what they needed from each other, letting their passion become unleashed.

And just as quickly as it started, it ended. He pulled back a bit before resting his lips on her forehead and holding her close in a semi-hug. "I don't want to hurt you." He said quietly, his voice catching with unfamiliar emotion.

"You can't," she replied simply, pulling back to look up at him. "I won't let you," She said lightly, teasing him with a playful smile. He smiled back; her surprise was still there, but lessened. She was used to being thrown for a loop by him by now.

"Ginny! Draco! Inside at once!" Damien's voice was far off but the alarm in it was evident even from afar. They jumped up simultaneously and turned toward the castle where Damien was waving them toward the front door. Taking Ginny's elbow, Draco led her quickly in Damien's direction at a half-jog.

"What is it?" Ginny asked breathlessly when they approached. Damien's face was strained, worry lines invading his usually smooth exterior. He looked over her shoulder, off in the distance.

"I'm sorry, Ginny, but we're all in grave danger." Damien's voice was more serious than she'd ever heard it. Concerned, she looked over her shoulder up at Draco who was also wearing a serious expression. He met her eyes and shook his head. "We have to move. NOW!" Damien grabbed her arm, pulling them inside the castle and out of the rain.


End file.
